


Red, White, & Blonde Part II: WHITE

by KryptoKin



Series: Red, White, & Blonde [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Justice League of America (Comics), Supergirl (Comics), Superman (Comics), Wonder Woman (Comics)
Genre: Bromance, Death, Discussion of Abortion, Epic Battles, Epic Friendship, Gen, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Magic, Minor Character Death, Minor Original Character(s), Portals, Resurrection, Secret Identity, Secrets, Time Travel, womance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2018-10-20 08:50:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10659126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KryptoKin/pseuds/KryptoKin
Summary: Supergirl is alive! Yet the world is still in mourning. The lives of all who loved her have been changed forever and continue to be with her "resurrection." Part I mainly followed the Bat-Family. Part II follows Wonder Woman and those closely affiliated with her. (There will be angst, humor, bromance, action, mystery, etc.) Sequel to "The Other Side of the Story"





	1. I Lost You Once

**Author's Note:**

> I could not, for the life of me, figure out how to start this part 2 for so long. It was a toss up between what you'll read below and what is now the second chapter. Eventually, the first chapter I ever wrote or Red, White, & Blonde became the one to kick of Part 2: White. I hope you like it.
> 
> Again, comments, critiques, and kudos are always welcome.

**Six Months & Two Weeks Ago…**

"You're going to get yourself killed."

"Obviously."

"No, Kara…" Cassandra Sandsmark, also known as Wonder Girl, crossed her arms with a pout and continued to stare at Kara Zor-El doing a handstand on the ledge of the balcony. They were in Themyscira preparing for an unseen enemy who would be attacking soon. "You're wearing a blue Kryptonite ring. You have no powers. If you fall, you'll die. Plus, everyone can see your underwear."

"That's the point, Cassie. Not the dying, not that. The point is to train myself. To allow my body to experience the adrenaline that comes with trying not to die. And these are compression shorts _over_ my underwear." Kara was wearing a short stola over her modern underclothes. Both Cassie and Kara preferred not to go full antiquity when visiting the island of the Amazons.

"I can still see them, and don't change the subject. _Why_ train this way?" Kara sighed then cartwheeled out of her handstand and dropped to the balcony floor. She walked past Cassie and into the Amazon's room. "Kara, answer me." Cassie followed her quickly then stopped to stare at her friend. Kara was at the foot of Cassie's bed and attempting to pull the ring off. When it wouldn't budge easily, Kara stomped her right foot and let out an aggravated growl. "Here, let me."

"I've got it, I've-" Kara ceased protesting when Cassie grabbed her hand and yanked her to the vanity in the corner of the room.

"Sit." The Kryptonian obeyed and plopped onto the chair with a huff. Cassie did a few experimental tugs of the ring. When it still wouldn't come off, she grabbed a ceramic jar out of a drawer. Inside of it was pig's fat, which Cassie gingerly applied to Kara's finger.

"I gave you that jar for your birthday."

"I remember." The ring came off finally. Cassie handed Kara a towel to wipe her hand clean. "It was after I'd been accepted as an Amazon." When Kara was done, she handed Cassie the towel; she used it to clean her hands too. "Weren't you there?"

Kara nodded. "Diana had considered me an honorary Amazon for a long time. She felt it important for me to be there." Cassie finished cleaning her hands then wiped off the ring before handing it to her. "Thank you." Kara stared at the ring in her hands. She rested her elbows on her knees and set her chin in her right hand while doing so. "Crazy that something so small could cause so much damage," she said while rolling the ring in her left hand.

Cassie crouched down, resting a hand on the vanity for balance. She stared at the ring in her friend's hand before resting her free one over it. "Kara, talk to me. We're running out of time. Don't block me out now."

"You're five years younger than me," she answered while keeping her eyes on Cassie's hand, which took over rolling the ring around Kara's palm.

"What?" She stopped.

"I said," Kara pulled her hand away and made a fist as she focused on Cassie, "you are five years younger than me. Shouldn't _I_ be the one taking care of _you_? Not the other way around?"

Cassie raised an eyebrow then shook her head. "Just because I'm younger than you it doesn't mean I can't take care of you." She stood up and reached a hand out to Kara. "Age isn't a factor in that."

Kara took the hand being offered her. "Since when did you get so smart?"

"I have a great mentor."

Kara tilted her head and smiled softly. "Cassie, that's so sweet."

"Yeah… Diana's wonderful."

A yelp sounded through the room when Kara slapped Cassie in the arm. The two friends laughed and headed for the bedroom door, but not before Kara set her ring in its lead box and then into one of the vanity's drawers. "Hey Cassie, make sure you take care of Diana after I'm gone. Let her know she could never have stopped what's coming, even if she knew about it."

Cassie's smiled slowly fell before she nodded. "I will."

"I know I've been asking a lot of you. Just…make sure she knows it's going to be okay."

"Is it?"

Kara could hear the sadness in her friend's words. She stepped forward and took the Amazon's hands in hers. "Cassie," she didn't continue until her friend was looking directly at her. "I can't promise what will happen next. I'm supposed to survive this. I've seen it. I make it out alive." Kara frowned. "Kind of. The point is, whether what I saw comes true or not, it's okay. It's _going_ to be okay. You know why?" Cassie shook her head. "Because you won't be alone in this. You have Jay, you have McCoy, and if you let yourself, you'll have a few others too."

Kara reached up and rested her hand on Cassie's left cheek. Her thumb brushed under the eye where a tear was beginning to form. Kara then stepped forward and enveloped Cassie in a fierce hug. Cassie let her tears fall. It was better to get them out now; she had promised not to cry during the funeral.

"Come on," Cassie said as she pulled away. "All this mushiness has made me hungry. Let's go raid the kitchen."

"Now _that_ sounds like a great idea." Kara took Cassie's hand then led them out of the bedroom in search for something good to eat. They had big things ahead of them and needed as much sustenance as possible to give them strength.

**Six Months Ago…**

It was odd the quiet of a hospital tent could feel so deafening. Maybe because it was what the silence indicated. Cassie curled tightly around Kara's body wishing angrily for her friend to awake. The large hole in Supergirl's chest indicated the likelihood of that happening.

"Cassandra." She gripped the body tighter and let out a whimper. Artemis gingerly sat on the foot of the hospital bed and bent her head at a low angle. "Cassandra, we need you to let go of her body. We need to begin the preparations for her funeral." The cold weight in Cassie's chest starkly contrasted the warmth still emanating from the Kryptonian. Only the pallor of Kara's skin and the wound reminded Cassie she was holding onto a dead girl.

"Cassandra." This time the one to speak was Io. She was in charge of the armory on Themyscira and had a soft spot for Wonder Girl. "Please listen. Please allow us the honor to take care of Supergirl."

Cassandra casted her eyes between the two women, so different in appearance. Artemis was tall, taller than Princess Diana who was close to 6'4", with striking red hair. Io was short for an Amazon, only 5'8". Her dark skin and short, curly hair reminded others of the vast range of lands the Amazonians' had possessed. Slowly, Cassandra loosened her grip on Kara. She watched as Epione came from her spot by the doorway with two assistant healers. After the battle, it was the Head Healer that allowed Cassandra to be with the body during transportation. But now it was time to let go. She gently set Kara's head on the pillow then kissed her forehead. Epione approached the other side of the bed and after getting non-verbal confirmation from Cassie, stretched the body out to make it suitable for moving once the funeral process began.

Artemis and Io led Cassandra out of the Healer's tent where other Amazons were being treated. The human soldiers and League members were being treated in separate tents to help with their special needs. The wounds were triaged and dealt with accordingly. The tents were at the edge of the battlefield. The amount of dead was thankfully low, less than 100 men and women, so they had already been removed by their respective groups. Only Darkseid's monsters were left on the field. Martian Manhunter was organizing a group of Star Lab scientists to break them down and remove them.

Hephaestus had also brought the Amazonian men from his workshop to help, a request of Queen Hippolyta. They were being utilized to create piles of the creatures now that the battle was over. It was a fight that lasted three days. During the time, the fear of defeat was on the horizon when everything shifted. Supergirl's death was the final catalyst needed. It led to The Flash's ultimate sacrifice, which shifted the battle and secured victory for Earth's protectors.

Artemis broke off from Io and Cassandra and was greeted by two Amazonian brothers. "Where are we going?" asked Cassandra when she tore her eyes away from the heated conversation Artemis and the men were suddenly having.

"Princess Diana requested I bring you to the palace. She would not say why." Cassandra closed her mouth when Io answered her unspoken question. "Cassandra, I-"

"Don't. I don't want to hear it right now."

"I understand." The women walked in silence for the rest of the time until they were at the doors of the throne room. "You can enter as you will." Io turned on her heals and towards, what Cassandra assumed, was the stairway leading to her workshop.

"Io." She stopped and turned to Cassandra. "Maybe someday, but not today." Io gave Cassandra a sympathetic smile then went on her way.

Cassandra let out a long breath before pushing through the doors. She stopped before they were fully opened and raised her eyebrows to see Wonder Woman wasn't alone. Superman, Batman, and Queen Hippolyta were standing with her. The four stopped whatever conversation they were having and faced Cassandra.

"Cassandra Sandsmark, Daughter of Ares," spoke Diana, "you need to tell us what you know. _Now._ "

**Now…**

Cassandra tapped twitchingly at the armrest of her chair. M'Gann was flying her specially designed Martian plane over Qurac. Beast Boy was chatting amicably with Devil Boy behind her while Superboy napped quietly on her left. Blue Beetle was chatting with himself, or his symbiotic suit, on her right.

 _Are you okay?_ Cassandra flinched at the mental intrusion from Miss Martian but pushed through the headache.

_I'm fine. Just impatient to get home._

_I can tell._ Her words may have been conveyed telepathically, but the raise in her left eyebrow was used to accentuate those words. _What's got you so worked up?_

_Can't you tell?_

_You know I don't like invading the privacy of others._

_You initiated contact._

_Contact and pilfering through memories and thoughts are two different things. If you don't want to share what's on your mind, then you don't have to._

Cassandra sighed and shook her head. _Maybe someday but not yet._ M'Gann looked over her shoulder again and gave a nod and a gentle smile. The demigoddess relaxed as she felt M'Gann's mental connection cut. She didn't dare think it but felt her heart fill with trepidation and excitement. Six months. Six months to the date had passed. She just hoped the wait wasn't in vain.


	2. Miss Me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote most of this in one sitting without heavy editing, so forgive me if it doesn't have the same flow as the other chapter.

**Today, Themyscira…**

"No…"

Kara Zor-El turned away from the rolling sea and faced the Amazonian princess with a sad yet ironic smile only the Kryptonian could pull off well. "Hello, Diana. Did you miss me?"

"K-" Diana choked on the letter then took a breath. "Kara."

The slightest of smiles twitched at the right corner of Kara's mouth. There she stood in her full uniform with the moonlight outlining her silhouette. The wind pulled at her hair as it rushed up the cliff below Diana's balcony. "My beautiful, Diana." The princess blinked at her name and sucked in a wet breath. She stepped back the same time Kara stepped forward but the Kryptonian did not pause in her steps. They continued forward until Kara was close enough to reach forward and touch Diana's left cheek. She blinked rapidly at the contact and sucked in another breath. "I've missed you."

"Oh, Kara." Diana collapsed forward and wrapped her arms around her dead friend. She cried, and she cried, and she cried tears of sorrow into her shoulder. "You're real. Please tell me you're real."

Kara tightened her grip. "I am. I'm real and I'm not going anywhere." And then Diana of Themyscira cried some more, but this time they were tears of happiness that poured from her face. When there were no more tears to give she reluctantly pulled from Kara's embrace, though she refused to lose contact with her and kept her hands on the girl's arms. "The others are curious to know what is going on in here."

Diana glanced at her bedroom doors to see them closed and even locked. "I didn't," her eyes fell upon Kara, "I don't remember doing that."

Kara brushed her thumbs under Diana's eyes and then leaned up to kiss where her thumbs once were. "Let them in, Diana. They're anxious to enter."

"Why haven't they?"

"I guess you'll have to go and see."

"I-I can't-"

A soft hand on Diana's cheek stopped her train of thought. "Yes you can. I'm not going anywhere, Diana. I'll only be out on the balcony. I'm not sure how the others will take my return." The statuesque princess reluctantly released Kara's hand and made her way to the door. The buzz of the other Amazonian's voices slipped into the bedroom as Diana slipped out of it.

Kara took in a deep breath and smiled as the salt of the sea reached her nose just before the sound of crashing waves reached her ears. "How long do you plan on standing there?"

"Until it's time for me to leave." Kara allowed a half smile to curl at the right corner of her mouth. She faced the balcony doors and stepped through them to find what she had expected, Batman perched just outside the doors; he was a harsh shadow compared to the softness the starry sky provided. The moonlight washed out her primarily red and blue suit as she found herself a few feet from Batman. A deep silence pulled them closer together, because what else would suffice as a mode of connection for a man dressed as a bat and a woman who could hear the faintest of sounds?

"Kara." The crack at the end of his voice did the same thing to the Girl of Steel's heart.

"Oh, Bruce." Batman barely had time to prepare himself before Kara wrapped her left hand behind his neck and pulled him down. His hands found a place on her hips as she firmly pressed her lips to his. Moments passed before they both relaxed into the kiss. Bruce wrapped his arms around Kara and picked her off the ground. His mind flashed with a feeling of déjà vu as he remembered the kiss they shared the night of the benefit a little over six months ago.

Kara was the first to pull away, though not from lack of breath. Her eyes flicked to his lips as Bruce licked at them before tightening his grip then gently setting her on the ground. "This is the end of us, isn't it?" he asked with his arms still around her in a loose grip and his forehead resting against hers. What a picture they must have made. Batman and Supergirl standing on Wonder Woman's bedroom balcony in a romantic embrace; a picture the _National Inquirer_ would have itched to have for its tawdry collection.

Kara sighed and pulled from his embrace but kept a hand on his chest, close to where his heart was. "I'm afraid so." Her attention snapped to the bedroom as the sound of its door opening reached her ears.

Batman recognized the body language and slipped back into his Dark Knight persona. "Don't think this conversation is over. We still have a lot to discuss, Kara Zorl-El."

Her eyes crinkled in affection as she smiled at the man in front of her. The hand not resting on his chest reached up and caressed his cheek with the brush of her thumb. She frowned at the detection of stubble before kissing the unshaved cheek. "In time, Bruce."

"Kara?"

"Out here, Diana." Kara didn't have to look behind her to know the second she faced away from him, he would be gone. This was confirmed when Diana came out to the balcony with a warm smile; it could not, however, mask the fear in her eyes. Kara reached out for her friend's hands and held them firmly in hers. "I'm here. I'm real. I'm _alive_. And I'm not going anywhere."

"Speaking of which, we need to talk." Confusion flashed across her face before melting into understanding.

"I suppose I owe you some explanations."

"You think?" Kara chuckled and tightened her grip.

"Then let's talk."

 

**Another Part of the Island…**

A figure in a dark green cloak sped through the jungle like a doe. With feet spending a less than a second on the ground, the figure made it to the large hut in the heart of a series of trees made thick from untamed vines. It slipped in a hole between some of the vines that appeared too small to enter unless one put their foot then torso through it the correct way. The hut was several feet from the entrance. The figure waved a hand and entered the homely shack; another wave closed the door behind her.

"You're late." The hooded figure let out a derisive snort before lowering her hood to reveal algae green hair. Circe, the great sorceress.

"It's not like you can get this at Costco." She pulled a pouch from under her cloak and handed it to the old woman who had scolded at her entrance.

"What is a 'cost-co'?" Circe ignored the question and watched as the woman opened the pouch and gingerly pulled a light brown root from it that closely resembled ginger but sparkled as the light from the lamps hit it. "Is this the correct ingredient?"

Circe let out another snort and flicked her hair over her right shoulder. "Listen. This is _my_ spell. _My_ creation. You honestly believe I would not recognize an ingredient?"

"Who knows what goes on in that wicked mind of yours?"

"Wicked?" A smile that matched the adjective spread across Circe's face. "You're one to talk. Sorcery is banned on Themyscira and yet. Here. You Are."

"You've never _enacted_ this spell before."

Circe doesn't take the baited change in topic and charges on. "I don't have to, to know it will work. _You_ on the other hand have only been at this a fraction of the time I have. To be honest, it's pathetic."

"Enough," hissed out the woman.

"Even that child Zatanna is more powerful than you."

"I said enough."

"You're nothing more than Hippolyta's scorned-"

"Enough!"

Circe barked out a laughter at the old woman. "You don't scare me, you nasty hag. My magic can easily make you deformed in addition to old. Must be difficult, being cursed to be this way forever."

"It was a willing sacrifice," mumbled the woman, flipping from pained rage to pained sadness.

"I'm sure one that was appreciated, until she put you away like a shamed woman." The woman's shoulder curled into herself as she chopped the root Circe brought her. "Be careful with that. There aren't too many of those left. If Artemis, that hypocrite of a goddess, finds out I took it from her personal garden then she'll kill me."

A smug look twisted the woman's features. "I thought you didn't fear the goddesses."

"I don't. I just don't want to waste my time facing any of them," she said while running her index finger along the underside of her jaw.

"Then hope this works." The woman measured out the proper amount of diced root before pouring into the mixture boiling at the center of the hut. It glowed a neon green before turning yellow. "Excellent."

"That leaves two ingredients left."

"We cannot disturb the final ingredient until the full moon. Until then, do what you must to get the other."

Circe rolled her eyes and flipped her hood over her green hair. "A taste of Supergirl's blood coming right up."


	3. Superwoman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't too long of a chapter. More for transition purposes but was still nice to write anyway.
> 
> The next chapter is fully written, it just needs to go through the editing process. My computer shuts off the internet at 10 pm so it won't be published tonight but hopefully in the next few days.
> 
> Part of me wishes I had a beta reader but it's just me and the wonderful site of ProWritingAid (seriously though, go check it out).

**Metropolis…**

"Mango black tea for James!" Veronica Lake grabbed the drink but not before give the barista a wink. The man paid little attention to it. Veronica gave a snort of derision in response to the non-reaction. She zigzagged through a gaggle of high school girls that entered the Starbucks with youthful enthusiasm. Outside sat James "Jimmy" Olsen who was tapping on his laptop, which was becoming a more and more frequent occurrence, while Lucy Lane chatted on the phone. Veronica set the tea on Jimmy's right then gave him a quick kiss on the temple. A smile and a faint blush was the only sign Jimmy wasn't oblivious to his surroundings.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Love you too, Lo. I'll see you tomorrow." She shifted to the left and slid her phone in her back pocket. "How's that expose coming?"

"Slow. Linda's notes were impeccable and well organized but there's a hefty amount to rifle through."

Veronica perks up at the deceased brunette's name. "What's the story?"

Jimmy leaned back from his work and crossed his arms. "After Cat and I came to an understanding about Supergirl's story, we chatted about Linda. It occurred to us she kept back-up notes on the Daily Planet's cloud server. We got access to it and saw the articles Linda was working on before she died. Lois thought it was a fitting way to pay homage to her if I finished them. The one I'm writing now is a follow-up of the last article we partnered on."

"The Colonel Kane one?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. I have an interview with him in a few days. Not looking forward to it but I'm glad he's at least willing to talk."

"I thought Linda opted to not publish it in favor of the Intergang one."

"She did. Linda's go-to informant, Drake or maybe Drakken, sent me a text. Not sure how he got my number. He said someone knows about the charities. I reached out to Kane in hopes of getting ahead of whatever this person is planning."

"And you trust him?" asked Veronica.

Jimmy nodded. "Linda trusted him. And if _she_ did, so can I." His phone buzzed and played the theme of Once Upon a Time. "It's Kane. Hello Colonel…" Veronica and Lucy watch him walk away. The older brunette turned to her right when the younger girl sighed.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

"Mhm. Sure. Try again."

Veronica took a breath in through her mouth and held it. "I don't want to be insulting."

"A Lake who cares if she's insulting, that's a first." When Veronica didn't smile at the joke, Lucy tried a different tactic. "Hey, I'm a Lane. I can handle insulting."

Veronica leaned forward. "It's just…" She pulled her jacket from under her and folded it around her arms. "James and I have been getting closer these past few months and at first I liked him as him, as a friend but-"

"Things shifted. You like him more than a friend, but there's something in the way. Maybe a certain girl whose name starts with an L?"

Veronica's mouth popped open. "How?" she asked in a strained whisper and poppy eyes.

"Because I've been in your shoes. I thought there was a chance for me and Jimmy after he and Linda broke-up years ago. We went on a few dates but it felt weird. Romance wasn't for us. Jimmy loves me and I love him, but it's a love between friends."

"The only difference in that scenario is Linda was alive." She plopped her face in her hands. "I'm competing with a dead girl." Veronica tensed up and lifted her head. "I am _so_ sorry. I didn't mean to come off like that, I liked Linda too."

"Veronica." The auburn-haired girl shut-up. Lucy glanced in Jimmy's direction to see he was still on the phone. "First off," she flicked her short hair back, "You were only semi-friends with Linda, probs good acquaintances. Linda didn't throw the word 'friend' around. Second, you're not competing against anyone. Jimmy loves," she took a breath, "loved Linda. He'd known her almost eight years. You learn to cherish and love someone when you've known them for that long. Yeah, Jimmy and Linda were engaged."

Veronica's eyes widened. "I-I didn't, I mean... They dated, yeah, but I didn't know it was that serious."

Lucy grew quiet as sipped her macchiato. "Something happened years ago during a visit to Qurac. She never talked about it except to Clark and Lo, but whatever it was it was _real bad._ It changed her. She broke-up with Jimmy a few weeks after her return. We stopped talking after that; she pushed us away. The point is, she and him had history. But if he wants to date you that's on him. Not on a 'dead girl' as you so put it."

"I am sorry for saying that."

"You're forgiven, but don't let it happen again. It's hard to insult a Lane but boy do we hold grudges."

A soft hum of amusement escaped from Veronica. "I won't."

"Hey look!" The women followed the man's pointed finger to see Superwoman flying across the sky.

"Weird how we don't got a clue on who she is or why she's here."

"Superman was a mystery when he first arrived."

"By now we knew about his home planet and his powers, she hasn't said a thing about where she's from."

"Where's Superman when you need him?"

"Isn't he off-planet?"

"Yeeeaaah." After the dejected reply, the table's conversation changed to the soon-to-be presidential election.

"I miss Supergirl." Lucy and Veronica looked away from the sky to Jimmy was doing just what they had been moments earlier.

" _No one_ can replace her, Jimmy," said Lucy. "But at least Superwoman is trying." He flicked a glance at Veronica, who was looking at Lucy, then back to her.

"Yeah, I guess she is."

**X**

Lois tapped her pen against her palm as she watched Superwoman cross the sky. Unlike Lucy, her hair was a dark shade of brown, almost black. Lois's eyes were also a darker than her younger sister's. Her light skin tone, however, she inherited from their father along with his personality; her physical features resembled her mother's. Cat Grant was a stark contrast to Lois. The corn silk blonde hair and 'fresh from the beach' tan gave Cat a more carefree visage.

"Unnerves you, doesn't it?" Lois raised an eyebrow at Cat's question before she sat at her desk. "The woman goes around saving the day, not that I'm complaining, yet we know nothing about her. No interviews, no exclusives, just a mantra. 'I'm here to help.' What am I to do with that?"

"Superman was the same when he arrived."

"Yes, until you seduced an interview out of him." The smirk didn't go unseen by Lois but experience kept her from making a retort.

"Give her time. When she's ready to tell the world who she is, we'll be ready for her."

"That's _if_ she ever tells anyone, let alone the Planet or PGN. If Linda was here, she'd have that exclusive by now." A silence wrapped around a beat of understanding passed between the women before Cat asked, "How's James doing? I heard you and Perry saddled him with Linda's unfinished articles."

"More or less. The puff pieces were passed off to interns, but the heavier pieces got tacked on Jimmy's docket. Follow-ups, mostly. Over half of 'em were time-sensitive."

"What about that article Linda buried? The one she assuaged Perry's wrath over her refusing to write it by offering the Intergang one. It had to be juicy if Linda 'The Good' Lee-Danvers refused to publish it."

"It's none of your concern, Cat. Jimmy's working on it. Stay centered on Superwoman. I'm confident the talented Cat Grant can think of a way of a way to get an audience from the elusive heroine."

Cat picked at a nonexistent piece of fluff on her skirt before uncrossing her ankles and leaving the office. "Have a good day, Lois."

"Pleasurable as always, Cat."

**X**

Superwoman finished her patrol and landed floated above an alley between two apartment complexes. The air rippled with current as she landed. She twisted the knob hidden underneath her cape and the body suit turned into brown boots, skinny jeans, and a blouse. Locked in a safe and camouflaged behind a dumpster were street clothes: a windbreaker, book bag, and a pair of eyeglasses. The uniform could transform into anything she wanted but discovered wearing clothing from the 21st Century helped her blend in better.

Once situated, Liylah disengaged the force field off, which produced a crackling noise; her upper lip curled. "I must fix that before next time." Just as she was about to leave the alley a lanky man rounded the corner and pushed her gently into it.

"Not so fast, _Sister_."

Her lips parted as she took in a sharp breath and her eyes expanded. "Brother." The man's violet eyes remained impassive as he turned the force field back on, which caused confusion to pass over Liylah's face. The instant it activated, crinkles formed at the edge of his eyes and mouth.

"It's wonderful to see you, Little Sister. My beloved, Liylah."

The confusion deepened before realization struck. "Emery?"

He grinned. "You and I need to talk, dear Sister. If we don't, it won't just be the Authority after you, it'll be the enemies of Supergirl too."


	4. A Constrained Heart

**Themyscira, Six Months Ago…**

"Cassandra Sandsmark, Daughter of Ares," declared Diana, "you need to tell us what you know. _Now._ " The heavy grief in Cassandra's chest had melted her heart like wax but hardened as icy fear and panic washed over her from Diana's demand. The famous trinity of heroes: Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were the personas standing before her not the people under the masks of heroism and steep responsibility.

"Princess?"

"Do not, 'princess' me, what is this?" Cassandra flinched at Diana's harsh voice. The one time she heard it, it was directed at her father.

The anxiety pushed at her ribcage then constricted on itself. "I don't-"

"Tell us about the box, Wonder Girl." Cassandra looked to Batman who, unlike the other two-thirds of the mighty trio, kept his eyes on her with an undemanding stare. With slow steps, she approached them to see a box in Diana's hand; the one Kara gave her.

"Where did you get it, Wonder Girl?" Batman's gravelly voice smoothed over Cassandra. Her eyes flicked to the box to his again. Realization dawned on Cassandra.

"Kara gave it to me for my induction into the Amazons."

"What about the ring?"

"The what-?"

"The _ring_ , Miss Sandsmark." This was the first time Superman spoke since the end of the battle, at least to her. A new ache filled her chest when it occurred to her she wasn't the only one in the room in anguish. Kara was Superman's cousin, one of the few tangible remnants of home; Superboy was a clone, Krypto was a dog, and Power Girl was from another universe. She was the only other member left of the House of El.

"Kara had it made years ago. I don't know when. She used it for training."

"I found it on her bed, along with a note for me," said Superman.

"I…" Cassandra's brow creased. "How do I respond to that?"

"Did she know she was going to die?" Diana's voice cracked in the middle of her question. "Did she?" Diana had known Kara since she was a teenager new to Earth. Cassandra became well-acquainted with the stories recounted by Artemis, Alexa, Io, and the other Amazons. They adored the Kryptonian though it didn't keep them from training her hard like her sisters. In some ways, they trained Kara more brutally than Diana due to her powers and invulnerability. Diana had helped save Kara from Darkseid, she helped her through her PTSD and depression from the torture she endured, and was the one to convince the UN to have Supergirl be an ambassador. And Kara? Kara and been an advocate of her and Steve, an ally in the battles against Ares, and a friend and sister when Donna died. All of this before and after Cassandra came into the picture. Kal-El may have lost blood, but Diana lost a soulmate and a sister much like Donna all those years ago.

"Yes," came out the strangled whisper. The tang of salt on her lips made Cassandra blink. She didn't realize she was crying. Diana turned to the side and pushed her forehead into Kal-El's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her arms and squeezed.

"How?" asked Batman.

"She," Cassandra grimaced in discomfort as she stepped forward, "got a message from a Supergirl from another universe," and put a hand on her lower back. Batman was the unknown in Cassandra's mind. She knew of the almost romance or 'lusty interactions' between Kara and Batman and that they never went past the starting line. Batman witnessed her growth from gangly teenager to bona fide woman. He trained her in combat and how to use her mind and her body when it came to be a caped crusader. She was part of the Bat Family as she was the Amazons. But there was still the mysterious quantity in his relationship with Kara that Cassandra couldn't define. An almost lover? Was that even a term? And ex-almost?

"How long did she know?" This question drew her from her thoughts.

"Six months."

"Why didn't she tell us?" Cassandra understood the offence in Superman's voice. It was the same offence felt when she discovered Kara's plan.

"To be honest, she didn't even tell me. I found out behind her back."

"How did you-?"

"Why would she keep this a secret?" Cassandra had never seen Batman interrupt anyone.

"She didn't want you to worry. _Any_ of you to worry." She pressed her middle finger and thumb into her temples; a headache. "She wanted to live out her last days as normally as possible."

"Who else possessed knowledge about Kara's impending death?" Before she could answer Batman, he interrupted her. "And don't lie."

"The Red Hood, Dr. McCoy, another doctor named Havens."

"Is that all?"

"All that _I k_ now. If there's more then I'm not the one to talk to."

Batman's eyes narrowed at her. "Very well. Thank you for telling us the truth. You may leave now." Superman looked ready to argue but Wonder Woman stopped him. Cassandra hesitated a moment then bowed before leaving the throne room. This conversation wasn't over by a long-shot, but the partial truth would have to do until everyone was ready.

 

**Now…**

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG! CLANG!

Kara used a heavy hand to wipe the sweat from her brow. Artemis smirked at the action before swinging her broad sword at the Kryptonian. While the powerful women sparred, Diana, Alexa, and Epione observed them from the sidelines.

"Perhaps I am wrong, but if those two do not let up then one or both will get seriously injured."

"You have a point," responded Epione to Alexa's comment. "Artemis is in excellent fighting condition, though not up to par from before the battle. Kara is doing well but I am unsure on how this will affect her heart. We discussed what her conditions were during these past six months. I fear her heart will give out. When this is over, I will call on Althea to examine her."

"She is struggling, if the sweat is any indicator." Alexa stepped away from Epione and her multiple notes on the training session that began at sunrise. Diana stood in the shade of the coliseum entrance and Alexa joined her at the edge of its shadow. "Three days Kara Zor-El has been here, yet most of us are ignorant of where she has been and what happened to her. You who has spent most of your waking and sleeping hours with her _must_ know."

Diana sighed. "She's been sleeping in my bed with me for the past three days. All we talk about is the past six months. I need a reprieve. How are Scyleia and Phoebe?"

"Fine. Scyleia fainted the moment she saw Kara but Phoebe pulled her into a deep hug. I have never seen her so excited except once when she met her twin brother."

"Phoebe always admired Kara."

"Hm, I wondered why she requested guard duty over Kara's body."

"Now you know." The women allowed themselves a distraction in the form of a class of young Amazons led by Lyla and Venelia.

"It is good to see Lyla in a good mood." This comment was in reaction to the broad smile on Lyla's face when she saw Kara.

"Losing Donna was hard on her. Kara filled a hole in her heart."

"She wasn't the only one." Diana sighed at the remark Alexa paired with a glance at her. "Having Kara alive must be healing for you."

"Alexa, I don't need you psychoanalyzing me."

The shorter red-head chuckled. "Be glad I'm familiar with that word. You blamed yourself for Kara's death for over six months, my princess. With her return, is it not time to release this unwarranted guilt?"

"It's my fault she died, Alexa."

"Her death was prophesied long ago. Athena told you this herself as did Aphrodite."

"She died saving my life." Alexa flinched at the anger. Diana breathed through her nose as she took calming breaths. "Maybe you're correct. Kara has returned. There is no need to hold on to my pain."

"Good."

CLANG!

A gasp from the audience snapped put Diana and Alexa into a fighting stance. Diana gasped as Kara dropped to the ground on one knee. Blood poured from a cut over Kara's right eye, but it wasn't the blood that made Diana panic. The Kryptonian was clutching her chest. Artemis dropped her sword and caught her before her head hit the ground. She lifted her bridle-style just as Epione, Lyla, and another Amazon rushed to them.

"I told you her heart could not take it."

Epione glared at Alexa then shooed away the Amazon who was wiping the blood off Kara's face. "Get her to the hospital, Artemis. Althea will know what to do."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, Lyla. Stay with your class and train them." Lyla tensed with internal conflict at the order given by Diana but acquiesced nonetheless with dropped shoulders.

"Artemis, with me." The Bana-Mighdallian warrior nodded and followed Epione.

As they walked away, Alexa noticed and raised her eyebrows at the person she thought would go with them. "Princess Diana?"

"She doesn't need me there. Epione can take care of her without me."

"But Diana-"

"No, Alexa. And that is final."

"Very well. I will inform your mother of what happened."

"No, I will. Besides, you're needed at the temple."

"Ah, yes. Hera, forbid we have another necromancer on our hands." Alexa's brow furrowed when Diana didn't react to her attempt at humor. "Go, before Venelia tells her General about what happened here." The princess casted one last look in Kara's direction before leaving the coliseum.

Some of the students watched their princess's exit instead of paying attention to Lyla who was trying to get them focused on the midday lesson. What went unnoticed was the Amazon from earlier who tried to clean Kara's face. She slipped away to the entrance the class came through then pulled a softball-sized, black and red chest from her robes and placed the bloodied cloth in it. Light emanated from box's lock. The woman pulled at it and smiled when it wouldn't open. Once a suitable distance away from the coliseum, the Amazonian's hair curled and turned green from roots to tips. Circe giggled to herself as she shook the sealed container. "One down, one to go." After a short walk, she stood at the entrance of the Temple of the Dead. "You're next, young one. Enjoy your peace while you have it." The cackled echoed through the forest as Circe disappeared through the trees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It'll only pick up in speed from here.
> 
> But Oh. My. Gosh. Did any of you SEE the recent two episodes of Supergirl? They were amAZing. And Cat Grant is coming back next week and having a heart to heart with Kara. I'm so excited! :D :D :D
> 
> Yesterday's Agents of SHIELD episode was SO freakin' good too; Fitzsimmons will ALWAYS be the emotional center of the show. Ian and Elizabeth are such freakin' (yes, I know I've already used this word) good actors. Wowzers.
> 
> Anywho, I hope you enjoy the rest of your week. Got a new finger tattoo I'm excited to show off though not looking forward with dealing with the aftercare (or my mom's reaction :\ ).


	5. Wicked Actions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a long time, my pretties. Let's not drag on this affair any longer. (Okay, poetic moment over.)
> 
> New Chapter! More to come soon. Also, if you read any of my Five Dollars, She's Supergirl fic, fret not. Also more to come. Gotta get that sucker done before the season 3 premier of mah fav show. WOOOOOO! (I had coffee, in case you can't tell.)

_That day had been beautiful. The sky was decorated with cirrus clouds that stretched out in wispy lines across the sky. The setting sun gave the horizon a yellow and orange glow while the sky above it was a series of pale blues and light purples; both sets of colors met in the middle and blended in a swatch of secondary and tertiary colors. It was a perfect night for introspective walks on the beach, reading great tomes from the library, and fun in the springs. Not this, not a siege by Darkseid._

_Parademons littered the sky as the attack raged on Themyscira. One group of six carried a large machine resembling a crossbow; four to carry, one for the bolts the size of javelins, and another to charge and fire the machine. Supergirl noticed it in the corner of her eye after her and The Flash used their super speed to corral several of them by using heat vision and lightning strikes to destroy them. The rocks at her feet shook as she prepared to break through them at top flight and destroy the weapon, but she stopped. She stopped the second she saw who they were aiming at._

" _Diana," she whispered out. A crack sounded through the battle field as she took off at full speed. Not at the parademons, no, but at Diana herself. "Move, Diana! Move!"_

_But it was too late. The demons fired the contraption at Wonder Woman and watched as the bolt beelined for Wonder Woman's head. It's destination, however, was cut short. The fighting grew silent in the moment Wonder Woman dropped her opponent to the ground and looked up to see what casted a shadow over her._

_Supergirl, in all her battle glory, hovered over her clutching at the spear that slid through her hands, pierced her body armor, and pushed through flesh 'til a foot of it forced out the other side of her body. The bullseye of the target was, to Wonder Woman's horror, Supergirl's heart. With a heavy thud, Supergirl dropped to the ground feet first followed by her knees. Diana caught her in her arms before she could fully collapse. Above them, the parademos reloaded their crossbow when a lightning bolt struck them down. The Flash slid to a stop between their charred remains and the two warriors._

" _That's what you get for attacking my ex…" The words in The Flash's throat swallowed themselves when he saw the scene before him. "Kara," he choked out._

" _Flash,_ _ **please**_ _. Please, Flash. Help me." The Flash zoomed to Supergirl's side. His hands hovered over the metal in her upper chest._

" _Diana, if I remove this. She'll…" The Flash cut himself off._

" _And if you don't?" His eyes locked onto Supergirl's. "Wally! Answer me. If you don't?"_

_He kept his gaze on Supergirl, which had nothing but love and adoration in them as she looked upon him. She reached out and touched The Flash's hand. He flinched as she coughed up the blood overflowing her lungs. "Run, Wally," she wheezed out. "Run."_

" _Kara?" Wonder Woman asked as The Flash stood tall._

" _This battle ends._ _ **Now**_ _." The lightning released from The Flash's departure scorched the ground as he zig-zagged between Justice League members, parademons, and soldiers._

_Wonder Woman gasped when a hand patted the arm around Supergirl's waist. "S'okay. S'okay, Diana."_

" _No, no it's not." Wonder Woman pulled Supergirl tighter into herself. "Please, please, please, please, please... We'll fix this, I promise. We'll save you. I promise."_

" _Can't-" Supergirl spat up blood as her body convulsed. "Not… not this time. Not this," Supergirl pulled in a strained breath, "timeline." The quiet murmurs of Diana's pleading could not be drowned out by the roar of the battle that surrounded them. Nor could her screams of pain when Supergirl's final breath left her body._

Diana sighed and set the scroll detailing that moment of battle on her mother's work table. Her eyes wandered over the battlefield, or what she could see of it from the library's upper floor balcony. Queen Hippolyta was in a meeting with her General Philippa in the throne room; a messenger had informed her the queen would see her in the library as soon as it was mind had wandered to the day Kara died and willed that memory to cease quickly and permanently. Almost five years prior to the battle, Diana had cradled a suicidal and deeply depressed Kara; rocking her with comforting shushes as the blonde lay in her arms in a Gotham City alley in the rainy night. That memory wove seamlessly with the hard daylight of the bristling hot battlefield. Both times Kara had resigned to die yet both times tasted different.

"I remember the last time I was here." Diana turned to her mother and smiled. "Donna had gotten into a fight with Alexa over the ethics of guerilla war tactics."

"I remember. Alexa deemed them necessary while Donna found them dishonorable."

"Not everyone fights with honor." A sad countenance fell over Hippolyta's face at the memory that came with the quote. "I was told you needed to speak to me about an incident at the coliseum."

"Yes. Kara's heart experienced a type of strain. Artemis took her to see Althea."

The queen's face remained impassive except for a slight crinkle at the corner of her right eye. "Is she all right?"

"Alexa believes so, even if she didn't explicitly express that thought. Epione is playing it by ear, so to speak."

"And what do you believe?"

Diana took a deep breath and smiled half-heartedly. "When Kara wants to live, she lives. There's nothing to stop her."

And that's what separated those two fateful days in Diana's and Kara's friendship. That moment five years ago was filled with despair and hopelessness; a deep desire to die, to end the pain. While the moment six months ago was filled with peace and hope and sorrowful joy; she knew the pain would only be for a moment. Diana did not know which time she hated or preferred more and did not want to find out.

**X**

Althea ran her hand over the puckered scar on Kara's back. It ran hotter than the rest of her skin. "How's your heart now?"

"Good."

"And your lungs?"

Kara inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled through her mouth. "It feels good. Back to where it's supposed to be. What's your magic say?"

Althea pressed her hand flat against her spine and closed her eyes. "Good. Strong." She opened her eyes. "You sure you did not play the weak heart card because Artemis was beating you?"

Artemis, who had been leaning against the doorway of the room with her back to them, straightened her stance and glanced over her right shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, Kara. You sure this is not some way to escape defeat?"

"Careful, Artemis. Once I'm at full strength, I'll make you eat those words." Kara took a deep breath when Althea instructed her to do so. "Dr. McCoy and I discussed the healing process once I returned to this time. He wanted me to stay longer but knew I had to return."

"Why? Why now?"

Kara gave a half-shrug at Artemis's question. "I'm still working that out. I was so focused on my impending death that I didn't think what life would be like once I returned. You can turn around again, Artemis." Kara adjusted her shirt as the other Amazon came into the room and stood to her right with crossed arms.

"You knew you were going to live? Diana did not speak of that during her discussion with the queen."

"It was a hope. I was told by… someone  _other_  than McCoy I would. I wasn't sure though."

"Did you want to die?" Kara took a pause from adjusting the armor on her shoulders and glanced at Artemis. Her eyes could only hold her penetrating gaze for so long before they focused on the space halfway between the wall in front of her and her feet.

"I don't know. Once, a long time ago, I did. Desperately so. Now?" The last of her armor clicked into place. When it did, her shoulders pulled back and her chin raised to stare confidently at Artemis. "I want nothing more than to live in a way I've never done before."

Artemis smiled and nodded as her arms dropped to her sides. "Good. Diana would kill you if you committed suicide."

Kara shook her head. "No." She paused and her brow crinkled. "Well, maybe. Let's not think about that, shall we?" She stumbled as Artemis smacked her right shoulder.

"Good. Let's get back to the coliseum. The Feast of the Five begins at sundown and Alexa would lecture me to no end if I was to miss her ever unchanging reading of The Great Battle of the Amazons."

**X**

The Temple of the Dead looked as daunting as it sounded. [temple description]. It was the Amazon's own version of a necropolis.

At the present, three priestesses oversaw its upkeep. The head priestess Nione and her subordinates Menalippe and Penelope. Many took pity on the latter due to being the twin sister of the Amazon Persephone who fell in love and released the terrible god Ares from his temple prison. Persephone in that time, was part of the old order that required priestesses to remain in solitude once they accepted their duties. She had been the second priestess to become unhinged and the first to become a full necromancer. She died during battle at Hippolyta's sword, but in the end Penelope still dealt with the repercussion of her sister's crimes. Very few knew treated her as her own person, Alexa being one of those few.

"If I had known your chores were this exciting, I would have requested to join you." Penelope smiled at the sound of her friend's voice, but quickly forced it down as she faced her from atop the library's ladder.

"Then I would be forced to share this excitement. And we both know I'm not one for sharing." Alexa rolled her eyes at her friend's terrible comeback.

"Will you come down so we can greet each other properly?" Penelope took rung by careful rung down the 30-ft ladder until her feet were planted firmly on the ground. The ginger enveloped her in her a tight hug. Penelope pushed her eyes into Alexa's neck as she breathed the warmth from her friend.

"You always smell like books and sun." Alexa chuckled and stepped back but, kept her hands on Penelope's shoulders.

"Blame Artemis for the latter. She's the one who keeps insisting I go outside more often."

Ah, Alexa. You're here." Nione, in all her priestess glory, glided into the library until she was within two arm's length of the women. "Do you have all you need for tonight?"

"Of course, I do."

"Excellent. It is nearing sunset. I will head to the coliseum to bless the feast. Please remind Menalippe to join me once she is done her chores."

Alexa chuckled. "And when will that be?"

Nione gave a sly smile. "If the past is an indicator, she won't be done until twilight, I would prefer sundown. I believe she is cleaning the empty tombs on the fifth sublevel."

"I can escort you, if that is alright," said Penelope. "It would give me a chance to get out of this library."

Nione and Alexa wore matched expressions of offense at the idea of anyone wanting to leave a library of that magnitude. The former left with a huff while Alexa chuckled with amusement and motioned for Penelope to lead the way to Menalippe. They chatted amicably until they reached their destination.

"I am still uncertain what our Princess Diana sees in that human, Steve Trevor."

Alexa shrugged at Penelope's comment. "He is a good man–as far as men can be good–in her eyes and a warrior."

"Still. He's mortal. Why not someone like Superman? He and our princess are equals."

"Perhaps. In the end, however, the heart wants what the heart wants, even what's worse for it." Alexa's hand flew out and tightly gripped Penelope's right arm. Penelope went to yell at her friend when she saw the wide-eyed horror on her face. She followed her stare to a pair of sandaled feet sticking out of a tomb four or five meters from them. It wasn't the feet, per se, that brought the horror over Alexa, but the pool of deep red liquid painting over the rocks next to them.

"No-no-no-no-no…" Penelope whispered out her steady rhythm of denial as she ran to the tomb. Her wail of despair was all the answer Alexa needed to know that blood was coming from Menalippe's dead body. Her eyes closed in anguish as Penelope's cries continued and the priestess crawled through the blood to the corpse of her friend and sister.

Those same eyes widened as her body tightened from the pain searing through her chest. The red warmth of blood peaked between the left corner of her lips as it dripped down her chin. The broad sword pushed further through her torso and lifted her off the ground before it was yanked out and she crumpled to the floor. As blood pooled in her lungs and around her fallen body, long painted fingernails brushed her hair from her face.

"Poor, little Alexa." Circe's green hair and wide grin peaked around her face as she ran the nail of her index finger down Alexa's left cheek. "As you see, your visits to the priestesses are no longer necessary. Perhaps you will find purpose in Hades' realm." The light in Alexa's eyes sharpened for a second before they lost focus and she went still. "Pity, I always loved your rendition of The Great Battle of the Amazons. It really brought the story alive."


	6. Resurrection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while. Most of this was written months ago, but a lot was written today.
> 
> Tried to make it a short chapter, but I just couldn't.

The Feast of the Five is a holy time for the Amazons of Themyscira. To honor the goddesses that blessed their island, for five days from sundown to sun up, no Amazon can spill a single drop of blood. Done on the anniversary of Themyscira's creation, its purpose is to remind all that it is paradise of paradises for women in need of escape or reprieve. Every year The Feast of the Five is carried out with pomp and circumstance, reverence and passion; how holidays should be. Kara didn't celebrate as the others did; she enjoyed if from afar. Not even Donna or Lyla could get her to participate in her younger years. Nevertheless, she tried to never miss a year.

Kara observed the five Amazons in costume dancing around an enormous bonfire. The priestess Nione accompanied their movements with exposition in poetic form. The narration reached the point of the storytelling that introduced the goddesses of the Bana-Mighdallian Amazons, who whooped and hollered as they entered in the dance. Kara once wondered how they didn't get bored by a ceremony witnessed over centuries. Now she was older, she appreciated and understood one could never tire of such history and fierce celebration. Diana and Hippolyta sitting on their thrones had smiles on their faces too. There was one exception to the revelry. Artemis kept focused eyes on the swirl of her wine with a melancholy expression. She joined whole-heartedly in the celebration when it began but grew more introspective and quiet throughout the night.

"You see it too." Kara turned her gaze to Io then to Artemis again before nodding. "I'm curious as to the cause of it," said the blacksmith.

"As am I." Io and Kara kept near the tables of food as they approached the redhead; even though they did so directly, she didn't acknowledge them until a hand touched her forearm. "Artemis, are you okay?"

"I…" She blinked before the veneer of the great warrior slid in place. "I am well. Enjoying the festivities. You?"

"Wondering what's made you so silent?"

Artemis shifted her stance and frowned. "Am I  _that_  transparent?" The other women refrained from answering with anything but raised eyebrows and half smiles. "If you must know, I have not seen Alexa all night."

Io frowned while Kara asked, "When's the last time you saw her?"

"At the coliseum."

"You know Alexa, she always has her nose stuck in a book."

"True. Yet she would never pass the opportunity to educate me on this holy week." A knowing smile passed between Artemis and Io when the latter caught something over Kara's shoulder. "She is absent from this wondrous occasion and it worries me."

"I'm sure someone knows where she is. Just ask around."

A confident hope filled Artemis as she set her wine on the table and pulled her shoulders back. "You are right. Princess Diana was the last one to speak to her, if memory serves me. She will know where she is."

"There's the Artemis we know and love." Io and Kara watched Artemis weave through the crowd, which caused Kara to snicker. "Is she skipping?"

"Shush," Io said with a laugh. "Let her have this moment." Her gaze fell away from Artemis to another familiar face in the crowd. "Speaking of moments, one is coming our way." Kara followed Io's gaze to see one of her favorite blondes pushing through the crowd. Io snickered at the Kryptonian's 1000-watt grin. As if she could sense their eyes, Cassandra stopped and scanned the crowd until she saw her friend. In tandem, the girls quickly pushed through the crowed until they collided in a thunderous hug. The Amazons standing nearby clapped or cheered at the reunion.

"I've missed you," Kara whispered in Cassandra's shoulder.

Cassandra tightened her hold on her. "Then never leave."

The reunion was short lived when Io's keen eyes picked up on the interaction between Artemis and Diana that now included Nione. "That does not look promising." The blondes released their hold on each other, though Cassandra kept her left hand interlaced with Kara's right, and followed Io's line of sight. Diana noticed them and made the others aware of their friends and sisters. "What's happened?"

"Diana said the last time she saw Alexa was at the coliseum."

"I sent her to check on the priestesses."

"Alexa and Penelope were instructed to relay a message to Menalippe," added Nione. "That was the final time I saw either of them."

"Those two are book worms. They probably got lost in conversation."

"Kara," said Diana as she squeezed her shoulder; the flicker of eyes to Cassandra's and Kara's hands did not go unnoticed by Io. "I appreciate your optimism but Menalippe was instructed to join Nione at sunset."

"And she has yet to show," finished Nione.

"On top of it, Alexa is the head orator. She's required to be here." Diana snapped her fingers at four guards standing by the throne. "Head to The Temple of the Dead then return immediately with whatever has transpired there."

"I am going with them."

Diana nodded. "Go. I pray you find good news." Artemis left with the guards. They kept to the edges of the coliseum and exited quickly, but not without Lyla, Phoebe, and Scyleia noticing as well as a handful of other Amazons.

"I pray they find the girls in good health," stated Io.

Queen Hippolyta took in a slow breath through her nose. "Hold on to your prayers, dear blacksmith. I doubt they will do any good over what has already passed." That didn't stop the queen from sending her own plea to Athena or from grasping the hand of General Philippa for all to see.

**X**

Deep in the Amazonian jungle, Penelope's eyes flickered like the fire before her. She watched the old woman and Circe whisper while consulting a book. Shivers racked her body from the inner chill whenever Circe smirked in her direction or the woman looked upon her in sympathy. Every book on enchantments her and Alexa read spoke on what would happen next. Tears flowed as her memories flashed with the dead bodies of Menalippe and Alexa. Her chest expanded with sorrow until she couldn't hold back the sobs anymore.

"Get ahold of yourself," hissed Circe. "You are an Amazon, for gods' sake." Penelope's sobs didn't stop, not completely. They simply quieted to sniffles and whimpers. "Are you ready?" She directed to her companion.

"I am." This caused Penelope to narrow her eyes at her.

"That voice," she whispered to herself. "Derinoe?" The woman froze at the sound of her name. "It  _is_  you." Penelope blinked at her and shifted to get on her knees. "Derinoe, please help. Please."

"Help you? Help you? Did any of you help me? When tossed aside by Hippolyta? When I sacrificed my youth and beauty to save her? Did you help me then?" Penelope ceased to look at Derinoe when she revealed her aged and haggard face as she screeched at the priestess. "I didn't think so." She straightened her back as much as she could. "I am ready."

"Excellent." With a clap of her hands she grabbed Penelope by the hair and dragged her along her knees to Derinoe. "This might sting a little." She used a sharp nail to cut a symbol in Penelope's forehead and then another into Derinoe's. Her palms pushed against the wounds; Derinoe kept Penelope's hair gripped in her hand so she couldn't move. Circe's eyes flashed green as Penelope's eyes did the same and Derinoe's turned white. Both women fell though Circe caught Derinoe's body and picked it up to set it on the bed in the far-right corner of the room. She tucked her in then turned on Penelope lying in the center of the room.

The priestess released a groan and tried to push herself off the ground with her shoulder. "Will you help me or not?"

Circe sighed. "I suppose so." She snapped her fingers, and the ropes disappeared. Penelope moaned in appreciation as she stood. Her hands brushing the dirt from the robes slowed and were held in front of her. "How is it to be young again, you old hag?" Derinoe caressed the youthful body she now possessed. "Or, how does it feel to run your hands over a woman again?" Derinoe shot Circe a nasty glare, which came across like slight irritation with her not used to how Penelope's face and body move.

"I can feel her fighting."

"That will pass. The spell will quiet her mind into a slumber."

"And her spirit?"

"Will be fine, as long as you stay in that body less than a day. The longer you stay, the more at risk both of you will be. There's a reason the flesh is only meant to hold one soul."

Derinoe shivered in her new body as her eyes glanced to her sleeping form in the corner. "I see." She lifted her hands to the spot over her heart and pressed against her chest. "This feels wrong."

Circe lips curled into a snarl for a moment before it relaxed into a smirk. "Don't tell me you're experiencing qualms about this  _now_? We've already stolen blood, a root from a goddess's garden, and desecrated an Amazon's tomb. Your sins are adding up, Derinoe. One more isn't going to make you any more wicked than you already are. Neither will turning back make you any  _less_  wicked."

Derinoe wrapped her finger around an errant curl and swept it back. "Let's begin." With a deep breath, she picked the wrapped corpse Circe laid on the corner table after she arrived with Penelope and carried it to the large cauldron. Like a mother putting her daughter asleep, she placed it in the boiling green liquid. It sank inch by inch until it was seen no more. The concoction turned a light lavender then a deep purple. Circe's eyes lit up with excitement and magic as Derinoe held the book in her right hand and held her left over the glowing mixture. Then with a deep breath, she began her chants.

**X**

The festivities raged on amongst the Amazons without a hiccup. They were unaware of what transpired with Artemis and the others. It was unnecessary to keep it from her people—they were warriors, after all—yet Queen Hippolyta remained adamant they shouldn't know.

Diana took it upon herself to lead the dances with Io as her right-hand woman. Lyla, Phoebe, and Scyleia conversed with everyone and changed the topic whenever someone mentioned the missing sisters. Cassandra and Kara slinked off after a non-verbal confirmation between Kara and Diana. They walked hand in hand to beach, the cool night a pleasant contrast to the warm sea water.

"It feels different."

"Hm?"

Kara smiled with affection at the other blonde before she continued. "Last time I was here, I had my artificial heart. It affected my powers. The water was…" Her brow furrowed as she mulled over her next statement. "Empty. Like something was missing."

"How so?"

Kara stopped walking at this question. "They allow my skin to be invulnerable and my senses to experience beyond what humans can."

"How do you know?"

"Memories from Krypton. Whenever I wore that blue Kryptonite ring. Other times I was powerless or less powerful."

"Sounds interesting."

"You have no idea," Kara answered innocently until she saw the innuendo-laced smirk on Cassandra's face. It earned her a hard shove from the Kryptonian. "You're such a pain sometimes."

"True," she laughed. "But you love me, anyway."

"That, I do." Cassandra's face softened at Kara's reply. "Cass, I'm so sorry. I'm so,  _so_  sorry, you had to keep my secret. That wasn't fair on you. Or Jason or anyone else."

"It's not," her grip tightened on Kara, "something you need to apologize for. Jason was a big help and I've been spending time with Connor. Being with him and the Titans helped. Seeing you dead, though, even knowing you were coming back." Cassandra raised her free hand to wipe at the tear sneaking out of the corner of her eye. Another hand beat her to it.

Kara's thumb wiped it away as her fingers caressed her cheek. "It was unfair to you. I wish it could have gone another way."

Cassandra's hand grasped the one on her face. "Me too. "I have one question, though." Their hands dropped in front of them. "You're back now, so what's next? Did Athena give you any clue?"

Kara shook her head. "The details leading to my death were in abundance. It's a mystery after that. Little Kara, a miniature Supergirl from another earth, she and I spoke once on that. It was about the afterlife and-"

BARROOOOOOOO! BARROOOOOOOO!

Kara snapped her hands out of Cassandra's and pressed them over her ears. "Kara!"

"Loud, so loud."

The sound of running feet alerted Cassandra. She moved her body into a defensive position between it and her friend, but relaxed when she saw Lyla, Phoebe, and Io. "What's going on? Who blew that horn?"

"The search party sent out a warning signal with a messenger. Menalippe is dead."

"No," Cassandra whispered as a hand covered her open mouth. "And Alexa?" The silence was answer enough. "What about Penelope?"

"Missing."

"Then there's hope yet," said Kara with a hand rubbing her temple. "Odds are, whoever killed Alexa and Menalippe are still on the island. We'll find them. Let's head back to the coliseum. I'm sure Diana will want to speak with us." Io, Phoebe, and Cassandra lead the group with Io rubbing Cassandra's back in comfort. Lyla and Kara fall back after Lyla grasped Kara's forearm. "Something on your mind, Harbinger?"

Lyla hip-checked Kara who laughed and linked her arm with Lyla's. "Are you, all right?"

"My powers are fluctuating as I grow stronger."

"You've had your real heart for a little over seven months now. Shouldn't you be stable by now?"

"I was asleep and resting for most of that and bed-ridden for the most part. Being here is like going a coma patient going to rehab for the first time and relearning her body."

"That can't be easy on you."

"I can handle it. Let's find Penelope."

**X**

Artemis and her party of Amazons stood outside a grove where different light leaked through in pinks and purples. Their attention only strayed when another group arrived—Diana arrived dressed in her Wonder Woman uniform and accompanied by Lyla and Cassandra in their uniforms. Kara, to Artemis's surprise, was in her Grecian robes and decked with battle armor similar Scyleia's. And as the Amazons with Artemis, the new arrivals did not carry weapons with them. The redhead's hand twitched where her broadsword strap hung. She gave a non-verbal command to the guards and approached where her friends and sisters stopped their horses. "We noticed it when we left the temple. Except for the changing colors, nothing else has happened."

Lyla flinched when the light intensified and changed to a lime green. "Magic. Strong, dark magic."

"There is one point of entry through the plant wall." She pointed to where it was the brightest. "What is your command, Wonder Woman?"

Diana pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin at the title. "You and your guards stay here unless we call for you. Phoebe and Io are arranging for a second wave to arrive soon. I need you to explain to them what's going on." She turned to her head priestess, who was helping Scyleia keep the horses calm. "Magic is yours and Lyla's expertise. What do the two of you suggest?"

Nione took a shuddering breath. "Harbinger is correct, the magick here is strong and dark. It's deep and god-like. I fear who resides within those walls."

"Then let us minimize the risk. Kara and I will enter first followed by Scyleia," the guard perked up at her name, "Lyla, and Cassandra."

"I would like to accompany you."

Diana raised her hand at Nione. "If Penelope is dead, you are our last priestess. We cannot lose you."

"No disrespect, your Highness. I am the only one trained in deep magick. I can help identify the incantation."

Diana took a breath then nodded in acquiescence. "You will enter with Kara and me."

"Thank you, your Highness."

She ran her fingers over her lasso of truth and motioned for the others to follow. They pushed their way through the vines and trees. The five warriors circled Nione who was the shortest of the group at 5'6"; a half-inch shorter than Cassandra. They moved with deliberate and soft movements between silent commands given by Diana with hand motions. Scyleia stiffened and gripped Lyla's arm. She tilted her head downward. Lyla eyed the ground then turned a shade of white at the space between her and her next step.

"Quicksand," she mouthed. "Not even Artemis or Hera can create a perfect paradise." Nione flinched at the under the breath critique of the goddesses, especially during The Feast of the Five. Scyleia kept her eyes down and moved Lyla and the others around the danger. Kara chose to float instead to focus on what hung above them. The vines brushing her head were harmless enough, yet her senses picked up movement amongst them. In a flash, her arm snapped out and grabbed the opened mouthed viper around the neck then smacked its skull repeatedly against her forearm until it was a bloody mess. Nione was frozen in place from when the snake came an inch from her face before Kara snatched it.

"Keep moving," Kara said as she dropped the snake to the ground. "We're almost there." And they were. Several movements later, they were at the door of the hut. Diana raised her hand and lifted five fingers that turned into four…

Cassandra readied her lasso along with Diana.

Three…

Scyleia tightened her grip on her shield and Nione released a prayer to Athena.

Two…

Kara's eyes glowed red as she floated higher and Harbinger focused her powers.

One…

Diana kicked opened the door and charged ahead with shield and lasso ready with Cassandra behind her left shoulder. It was too late. Roots burst from the ground and wrapped around their arms and pulled them to the ground. Scyleia and Lyla leapt over them, but got no farther than three steps past their comrades. The magic enforced roots reached for Kara and Nione were burnt to ashes. She wrapped her arms around Nione and lifted her in the air as she used her freeze breath to harden the ground.

"Impressive." Kara's grip stayed locked around Nione with a shield in front of the priestess and the Kryptonian behind her.

"Hello, Circe."

The witch grinned widely from her seat on the table closest to the door. "Hello, Supergirl. Goodbye, Supergirl." Circe lifted a hand glowing in green-colored magic and snapped her fingers. Kara's arms fell from Nione as she hit the ground. Her hands went to her chest where the feeling of constriction tightened.

"Stop! Stop!" cried Cassandra. Tears fell from Kara's eyes the pain tightened her throat and cutoff her air. "You're killing her!"

"That's the idea, Wannabe Wonder Woman." Nione lifted the shield at her feet and put her other hand on Kara who was bent over in the fetal position. With a strangled gasp, her body went limp and still. Cassandra's and Diana's face drained of color as they watched their friend's unmoving figure. Their breath didn't return until Kara inhaled and coughed at Nione's side. Circe's face scrunched in irritation before she met her glare.

"You're not the only one with magic here, Circe."

"Penelope?" Scyleia's question was enough to redirect the attention of the other five women, who finally noticed there was another presence in the room. "Penelope?" From where they were restrained, they could only see speak to the girl's back. "Penelope! What are you doing?"

"I don't think that's Penelope," groaned Kara, now on her knees by Nione's feet.

"Whoever you are, release my priestess." Nione stood tall as she spoke her command. Penelope, however, didn't hear her; already lost to the incantation, Penelope's – or should we say, Derinoe's – eyes had clouded over. The possessed priestess then rocked rhythmically on her feet as the cauldron bubbled over and the light from it turned a whitish gold. "Enough! I said release her!"

"Too late," giggled Circe in a sing-song voice. "It's done." In a move reminiscent of the Cheshire cat of Alice in Wonderland, Circe disappeared. The roots released their grip and whither. The warriors threw of their restraints and stood to their feet, except for Nione and Kara. It was too late. An explosion threw all seven women against the walls. It filled with a bright gold-tinged light that forced them to close their eyes and then nothing, like a camera flash in a pitch-black room. A hushed breath or two passed before two red dots glowed followed by the lighting of two torches near the center of the hut.

The warm glow fell over each woman's face as they opened their eyes; Penelope did not stir. It also lit up the figure standing naked at the center of the room. Each woman had contradicting expressions as their eyes fell upon her: Nione with worry, Scyleia with fear, Cassandra with confusion, Kara with surprise, Diana with hope, and Lyla with sorrow and love. She was the first to break the silence.

"Donna?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy the rest of your Halloween/Reformation Day, my friends!


	7. Donna Troy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, hasn't it?

The orange and yellows of the torches flickered against each object its lights could reach. The subtle sound of their crackle filled the small room between the breaths of each woman lying on the ground. As the light washed over and the sound filled, it was the heat from these torches that could not reach. It was as if they were not strong enough or absorbed by the naked body standing in front of them.

"Donna?" She did not move. "Donna? It's me, Lyla." This time Donna moved; her head shifted as she blinked at the blonde on her right. Everyone flinched at the movement by the recently resurrected. Lyla pushed off the ground and the rest followed. Only Kara stayed where she was when Nione used her hand to keep her in a sitting position. Lyla took a shaky breath and stepped towards Donna who had not blinked since she first moved. Lyla held a shaking hand out to her friend who looked at it before locking eyes again.

"Nione," whispered Kara. "Her eyes." The priestess saw it too. Everything in the room reflected the glow of the torches, except for Donna's eyes. "Stop her." Lyla stretched out her arm and reached for Donna's cheek.

Nione stiffened. "Lyla, don't!" As was the recent pattern, it was too late. Donna grabbed Lyla's arm, snarled, and hurled her against the doorjamb behind the group.

"Grab her!" Scyleia and Cassandra went into action. Scyleia used her shield to block a hit from Donna and hit her back. Donna's head snapped back as Cassandra used her lasso to constrain her arms to her body. It wasn't enough. Donna kicked the shield out of Scyleia's hand then wrapped her leg around the lasso which brought Cassandra close enough for Donna to kick her in the jaw. Just as Cassandra hit the ground, Diana jumped over her, lasso in hand. She grabbed the slack from Cassandra's lasso and pulled on it to force Donna to her knees while floating her own lasso around Donna's neck. With a yank, Diana pulled more to the ground, but Donna wasn't going without a fight.

As Diana attempted to hogtie Donna, she twisted onto her back and spit on Diana with a mixture of saliva and dirt from the floor. Diana's shock gave Donna time to kick up and headbutt her. With Diana thrown back in pain, Donna wiggled out of Cassandra's and Diana's lassos only for Scyleia and Lyla to come behind her and wrap their arms around her. She wrapped Diana's lasso around their hands and pulled them together to flip them to their backs. A hand on her shoulders forced Donna to turn on her new opponent. Donna paused and looked down to see Nione standing in front of her. The warrior sneered at the priestess and raised the hand still holding Cassandra's lasso.

"Hello, Donna." She stopped with a deep frown and swallowed; she couldn't move. "It's time for you to sleep. Nione reached out and ran a finger against Donna's left temple. She flinched but not a second later her eyes closed and she crumpled forward. Nione caught her then allowed her to fall back into Kara's arms who wrapped a blanket around Donna and lifted her off her feet.

"Lyla, grab the old woman in the corner. Diana can get Penelope. Scyleia, lead us out of here safely while Cassandra, you take the rear. Nione?"

"Yes?"

"Use your magic to seal this hut."

"Of course." The women wordlessly moved, doing each action with quiet concentration, the occasional groan of pain, and then left the hut. Once they were outside the hut, Nione closed her eyes and held her hands up. A shimmer washed over it. "It's done."

"Good." Kara tightened her arms around Donna. "Good."

**X**

Emery sighed as he leaned against the brick wall behind him. "I see. That's why you're here."

"I know The Authority isn't pleased with me. To be honest, you and I know they have no  _authority_  over me."

"No, but they have it over me. If they order me to terminate you, I have no choice."

"I don't see why they would."

"You're screwing with history. The Records state these are the quiet months, time without a Supergirl."

"That, dear Brother, is why I am going by the name Super _woman_."

"That, dear Sister, is semantics. You're playing with history."

"I'm doing good."

Emery sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know. I see that. And if I was speaking on my own behalf, I'd be applauding you. I am not, however, working on my own behalf. I am an agent of The Authority. My Brothers will be sorely disappointed in me if I did not handle this situation."

Liylah tapped her fingers against the plastic crate she was sitting on. "How long do I have?"

"Not long. Kara In-Ze is to awaken soon at full strength. In addition to that, Power Girl has returned to this Earth and," Emery cleared his throat, "the time of the Supers is at hand. You can't be here when it does." Liylah narrowed her eyes at him.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"What you don't need to know." Liylah closed her eyes and mumbled a series of letters and numbers to herself.

"Ah," she said. "Now I remember." When she pushed herself to a stand, Emery reached out to grab her hand.

"Don't be sad, Liylah. Your time as a heroine isn't over yet."

Liylah gave him a smile of amusement. " _Now_  what aren't you telling me?"

Emery returned the smile and stood with her. "You'll see."

**X**

"It looks like her."

"It is her."

"Is it?" Diana's eyes flicker to Epione then to Donna's sleeping form.

In a back room of the hospital was a cage with thick iron bars melted into the stone floor—courtesy of Kara—and the ceiling. There wasn't a door only a slit at the bottom where food could slide through. "Just in case," Kara had said.

"I can only pray."

"She attacked you, Diana. She attacked Lyla. And according to Kara, she planned to kill Nione. Does that sound like Donna to you?"

Diana sighed. "No. I  _would_  like you to keep in mind she was resurrected with deep magick abused by Circe. Who knows how that affects a person?

"Perhaps." Diana knew the end of a conversation when she heard it. Epione gave one last look to Donna before bowing to Diana and leaving. She wasn't alone long because Kara came in minutes later.

"I was hoping she'd be awake by now."

"So was I. How's Penelope doing?"

"Out cold. As is the woman we found. Do you recognize her?" Diana shook her head. "Neither did Nione. Artemis and Scyleia went to your mother with the hopes she might."

"She has to be an Amazon. Who else could she be?"

"She has to be from before you. Heck, before the Bana-Mighal since they didn't recognize her either." Kara turned her body from the cage to face Diana. "Why is she so old? I thought Themyscira kept you all from aging? A spell, perhaps?"

"Nione will find out." Kara sighed and faced the cage again. Her eyes fell over Donna's features. Full lips, a sharp nose, a clear jawline, and raven hair with a slight curl to it. Everything about her was a sharper contrast to Diana who had a little more meat on her bones and a rounder face from years of weight and battle training. "What if that's not her, Kara? What if something or some _one_  else came back instead of Donna?" Kara reached out and took Diana's hand in hers. "I don't think I could handle it." Her grip tightened as she rubbed her thumb over Diana's index finger and leaned over to kiss her on the shoulder.

"Have faith, Diana. The night isn't over yet." The Kryptonian picked up on clacking of shoes on stone before the figure emerged around the corner. Kara caught Io's surprise and shame at interrupting the moment before Diana released Kara's hand and turned to Io with hope in her eyes and voice.

"Do you have word, Io?"

"Penelope is awake."

"And the woman?"

"Not yet."

"Who is she?"

"We do not know. Though her aged features could be what is keeping us from recognizing her. Your mother is waiting in the library to speak with you."

When Diana glanced at Donna's unconscious form, Kara placed her hand on Diana's back and pushed her to the doorway. "Go to your mother, Diana. I can keep watch."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. And unless Io is needed elsewhere, she can stay with me if that would make you feel better." The relief that relaxed Diana's features was answer enough as the princess left the room. "Io?"

"Yes?"

Kara hid her chuckled behind her hand at Io's distraction by Diana's retreating form. "Do  _you_  recognize that woman?"

Io sighed. "Not entirely. I have a theory though. I think her name is Derinoe. She and Hippolyta were together years ago when the queen was a princess and a new queen."

"Together? As in-"

"Lovers. This was long before Diana. In fact, this was long before Themyscira. I was a child at the time."

"What happened to her? Why is she old?"

Io shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is it was around the time of Heracles and his romance with Hippolyta or maybe it was after.  _No_ , it was long before. What I  _do_  know, is Derinoe came with us to Themyscira. I remember some of the Amazons speaking of her. The last time there was any reference to her existence was shortly after Diana's birth."

"All this time she's been living in isolation?"

"I suppose. I am sure we will know more after Diana returns from her mother." Io adjusted the sword on her hip and replied to the intrigue on Kara's face with, "Simply a precaution. The queen does not know." She frowned at Donna. "What perplexes me is her."

"Perplexing is a good word. Concern is mine."

"Why? Is this not good news?"

"You didn't see the look in her eyes, Io. That lack of a reflection. The pure sadism in her actions as she fought the others. I didn't know Donna for long, but even I know it wasn't even close to who she was. Diana is concerned it's someone or something else."

"Do you believe that?"

"I prefer to wait until she wakes. Once we get the answers we need from Penelope and this Derinoe then we can be more conclusive on who's occupying that body."

"And if it is not Donna?"

They looked at Donna's sleeping form. "I don't know. I really don't."

**X**

"What will you do when the old woman awakens?"

"Question her."

"Do you think she is the orchestrator or a pawn in Circe's plan?"

"Circe's presence is odd. I have known her to play tricks, wreak havoc, create chaos, and get revenge. This is deep magick. Evil. It is not something I foresaw Circe doing unless egged on by someone else or it benefited her."

"Not seeing how bringing Donna back from dead would benefit her, I believe she was 'egged on'—as you said—by this woman."

Hippolyta sighed. "If this is true," she paused and closed her eyes, "I wish I could give mercy." Anger filled her voice as she continued. "But she is the one who orchestrated the murder of two Amazons—one of which was a priestess—desecrated a tomb and enacted dangerous magic during our most holy time. According to law, she must be put executed." A series of concise coughs caught the women's attention. "Artemis, what word do you have on Penelope?"

When Artemis's jaw tightened, it caused Hippolyta and Diana to tense. "She's requested your presence, your Majesty."

"And why does it cause my fiercest warrior to be anxious?"

"It is not Penelope that requests."

Diana's brow furrowed. "What do you mean, 'it's not Penelope'?"

"It is not Penelope who is in her body."

"Speak plainly," commanded Hippolyta.

"I am, my Queen. Penelope is possessed by this woman. In addition, she knows you."

"Her name! What name did she give?"

"Derinoe." Artemis and Diana watched the color drained from Hippolyta's face. "She has threatened to mar Penelope's flesh if you do not accept her request."

"That is not a request," said Diana with a huff. "That is a threat."

"One I will not ignore. Artemis, prepare for my arrival. We shall see what Derinoe has planned for me." When Artemis left, the princess reached out to her queen.

"Mother,  _please_. She is planning something."

"Her plan has come to pass. If she can tell us anything about this new Donna, I shall get it out of her."

"Mother-"

"No, Diana. That is final." Hippolyta walked away and gripped the marble railing in a white-knuckled grip.

"Mother?"

"Let me tell you a story, my dearest. From  _long_  before you were a thought conceived in my head."

_Two pairs of legs raced through the dense forest of the island followed by giggles and playful taunting._

" _Surely Artemis has gifted you with faster legs than this?"_

" _You mean Hermes, dear Hippolyta." Blonde and raven hair flashed between the leaves as the runners picked up their pace._

" _Excuses, excuses." Hippolyta lengthened her stride and sprinted out of her companion's reach. She skidded to a dusty halt once she reached the center of a small clearing and turned with a wide grin. "I win." She hopped on the balls of her feet waiting for the loser's arrival. Except for the songs of the birds, there was no other sound. "Derinoe?" No answer. "Dearest friend, where are you? Are you so slow I beat you by leagues?" Nothing. "Beloved?" By this time, Hippolyta had reached the edge of the clearing and was so focused on what lay in front of her, she missed the flash of raven hair as Derinoe leapt from the bushes and tackled her princess to the ground._

_The tackle led to a few tumbles through the dirt and grass and ended with Derinoe pinning Hippolyta to the ground. "I win."_

" _I beat you to the clearing."_

_Derinoe brought her head closer to rub her nose on Hippolyta's. "I still won."_

" _We'll see about that." Derinoe adjusted her hips and released Hippolyta's wrists to plant her hands on the ground. Hippolyta reached up with her right hand and brushed Derinoe's hair from her eyes before resting it on her cheek._

" _Hippolyta!" The two snapped away when the voice pushed through the trees followed by two others. A young Phillipus bowed deeply, but not before her eyes flickered between Derinoe's and Hippolyta's faces and legs. "Forgive me, your Highness. The prince is asking for you."_

_Hippolyta pushed her shoulders back and rose from the ground. "Then I shall go to him." She pulled out of Derinoe's grasp and marched to Phillipus._

" _Hippolyta!" The princess glanced back at her friend. "Don't." Hippolyta didn't reply nor did she look back again as she followed the others out of the forest._

"Did you love her?"

"I enjoyed her." Diana raised an eyebrow. "There were things I loved about her." Hippolyta pulled away from Diana's gaze when her eyes made the mistake of meeting her daughter's. "Yes. But there were-" She swallowed the lump in her throat. "There were bigger things at stake."

"The fate of the Amazons"

Hippolyta nodded. "The high king of… well, you know. You have heard the stories. He had murdered my mother and was on the run. After we learned of his death, his son arrived to make amends for what he had done. He gave us lavish gifts and proposed a truce. More than that, an alliance of blood."

"Marriage."

Another nod. "He was handsome and kind. Derinoe warned me not to trust him, but I would not listen. I was in love."

"And that angered her."

"Greatly. I hurt her. The council approved of the alliance. It was not until a young lieutenant approached me when I was away from him. It was thent I began to consider breaking the engagement."

Diana smiled. "Phillipus."

The queen returned the smile. "I did not know her personally then. I only knew of her from watching her spar with the generals and other warriors. By the time I headed her and Derinoe's warning, it was too late."

"What happened?"

"In a show of my loyalty before the wedding, the Amazons joined his men in a fireside celebration. I was alone save for two guards who watched from the trees. It was the night before the wedding; a cloak or a blanket. It was poisoned with an ugly kind of magic. Derinoe got in the way of it and as a result, she was aged to what you saw."

"Did you know she was on the island?"

Hippolyta nodded. "All Amazons retreated here. The last time I saw her, however, was after your birth. It had been so long I assumed… Well, I assumed the worse."

"What is she planning?"

"I do not know. Perhaps that is what scares me the most."

**X**

Io's head turned slightly to the left then to the right in slow movements as Kara floated in pacing fashion from one end of the room to the other. She had only stopped once to inform Io it would keep her from creating divots in the floor.

"What do you remember of Donna?" was the question that brought her back to earth.

"Not much. Like I said, I didn't know her well. I had been Supergirl for two years when she died. We met occasionally; a Teen Titans mixer here, a mission there. The last time I saw her was in the library, here." Io's eyebrows raised at the admission. "It was my first visit to the island. In a rare moment of being left to my own devices, I found my way to the library. I was fingering through a few tomes at the rear when I heard a voice tell me, 'I wouldn't, if I were you. Not unless you want to be bored silly'."

"Donna."

Kara smiled. "Yeah, she was reading a poetry book while lounging in this long red chair."

"That was here favorite chair."

"Really?"

"Anytime I was tasked to find her, that is where she would be. Every time."

"Hm. I didn't know. Anyway, she handed me another book on poetry and had me sit with her as she poured over the syntax in one particular poem."

"Which one?"

Kara shook her head and turned toward the sleeping Donna. "No. I was more enamored by the way she spoke and her passion. I hadn't heard the equivalent to that since my father with one of his spiels about the importance of scientific integrity and curiosity. It felt like home." Kara reached up and covered the hand that came to grip her left shoulder in comfort.

"Maybe you can ask her yourself."

"Maybe." A groan from Donna pulled Kara a step towards the cage and Io a step back with a grip on her sword. "Donna. Donna?" With another groan, the Amazonian pushed off the cot and rose to her feet, her eyes hidden behind her hair. The moment they were visible, Kara flinched back. Just in time as Donna's arms reached through the bars and at Kara's neck.

Donna's scream shook the room as she clawed at the two figures out of reach. The sound of rustling leather and clanging armor sounded outside the doorway as several armed guards entered and pointed their spears at the hysterical Donna.

"She's saying something." Kara blinked at Io's comment and focused her hearing to break down the spaces between the screams to hear the inflections of a sound-based language. "I don't understand it."

"It is not in your education, dear blacksmith." The guards parted to let Nione through who stopped between Kara and Io. " _That_  is the language of the Underworld. Only Hades and his minions speak it."

"What is she saying?" Nione closed her eyes. The screaming only grew louder and shriller, which caused Kara to cover her ears. "Well?" The priestess opened her eyes in wide terror. Kara reached out and steadied her. "Nione? Who is in there?"

"Her son. Hippolyta's son." Io watched as the Amazon's around her blinked or frowned or both at Nione announcement.

"Hippolyta doesn't have a son," corrected Kara.

"You are wrong. She did." Nione straightened her robes. "His name is Thrax, son of Ares, and he wants Hippolyta's head."


	8. Good Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted the chapters to follow each other chronologically, but with how this story needs to be paced I don't think it's the smartest. Some of these storylines—Themyscira—take place in a week or so while others—everything else, really—take place over weeks or months. Just a forewarning.

In… Out… In… Out…

The black behind her eyes greyed to a dark white as pictures flashed between these blank swatches of color. A picture of a green skinned man, a woman who looked like her mother, another woman with black hair yelling at one with red hair. Then the dull light burst into colors as Kara In-Ze opened her eyes clearly.

"It's too early to wake her up."

"I'm not waking her up, she's waking on her own." The sound muffled out to high pitch buzzing then noises in addition to the voices followed.

"Says you."

"Says her brain."

"Ladies, stop." The red-headed and raven-haired women didn't argue when they saw how Kara was reacting. The blonde lady who looked like her mother, but smelled nothing like her, pushed through the women and reached out for Kara.

"Kara? Are you…"

"Karen." The green man from earlier—J'onn was his name—came up from behind this Karen's right shoulder. "Let her rest."

"She's been resting for weeks, Manhunter."

"A coma is more draining than you think." A deep crinkle formed between Karen's eyebrows, which made her look more like her cousin Kara than the young girl's own mother. With a deep huff, Karen walked away and was followed closely by the dark-haired lady.

Karen turned the corner and punched a hole into the concrete wall. She stomped a few divots into the floor before doing it again next to the other hole in the wall.

Helena coughed as she walked through a cloud of dust. "Karen, stop it."

"No."

"You're causing property damage."

"I'll pay for it."

Helena crossed her arms and leaned against the wall on the other side of the doorway, where the wall wasn't damaged by Karen's punches. "She's awake at least. According to J'onn, with the work he and Ivy did her brain is all healed. They'll keep her under close observation for a few weeks until they're certain of her recovery. Either way, Supergirl is back."

"She's not Supergirl." Helena's eyes snapped up from their staring at the divot in the floor. "Not really."

"She will be. She should be allowed to be, if that's what she wants."

"She's not Kara."

"She  _is_  Kara. Just not the one you want."

"Eh-hem."

"Yes?"

Poison Ivy placed her hands on her hips and frowned. "Don't use that tone with me, boobzilla. If you're done, your doppelganger's cousin would like a word with you."

Karen's nose scrunched up. "Lead the way, rose red." Poison Ivy rolled her eyes with a sighing exhale as Karen strutted into the room with Helena sharing a look with Ivy and motioning her to lead the way.

**X**

Jimmy tapped his stylus against the tablet in his lap as he waited in the office decorated in greys, greens, and blacks. It had a definite man-cave feel to it with the Eagles flag in the corner of the office closest to the leather couch and a television situated behind Jimmy's head. A part of Jimmy had wished the colonel had directed him to the other side; at least it would have a more hospitable feel to it.

Now here he was, waiting for the colonel to return from whatever conversation was more important than this interview. He let out a mildly frustrated breath and leaned his head back or tried to when he realized the chair was too low for him to rest his head on it. Jimmy adjusted against, but when it didn't remove the ache in his knees he stood and locked them to stretch them out. This was when Colonel Kane stepped into his office. Jimmy recovered quickly at the realization someone had come in, but it was just enough time for the colonel to witness Jimmy lifting his right leg to be parallel to the floor as he reached for the ceiling.

Jimmy cleared his throat and pulled his jacket down as he stepped forward and shook Kane's hand. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

Kane retained his amused smirk as he returned the gesture. "Same here, son." They sat down in respective chairs and Kane's face become more serious as he cleared his throat. "Now, let's get on with this interview."

**X**

"You're saying you're the alternate universe version of my older cousin. And on your Earth, you were Supergirl and you," she pointed to Helena, "were Batgirl, whatever that is."

"Yes," Karen and Helena said simultaneously.

"Of course."

"I know this is overwhelming for you—not that everything else isn't—but considering you and Karen are family, kind of, we thought the two of you should meet."

"Why didn't you speak to me when I first woke up?"

Karen answered this one. "We learned how to return to our Earth a few years ago. We've been there for a while. The Kara Zor-El of this universe had just passed away when we arrived."

"Did you know her well?"

Karen gave her a half smile. "We had difficulties at first. Over time it smoothed over. She was one of my favorite people."

"I like that," she replied with a smile. "Did you know my cousin well?" Poison Ivy and Helena reacted similarly when they realized the question was directed at them.

"She and I worked together a lot when she was younger. Always kept me on my toes."

"She changed me." Ivy turned a rosy shade as she continued with her answer. "I met her when she was in her alter ego. It was one of our first encounters. She interviewed me. Didn't realize she was Supergirl until years later."

"It was her sehd."

"Her what?" asked Helena.

"Her person is the exact translation," explained Karen. "On Earth, we would say it was her 'humanity'."

"Oh, yes. It was that. That was always Kara. Her…" Kara frowned as spoke a few phrases in Kryptonian that Karen translated and In-Ze repeated. "Yes, her curiosity, warmth, and personhood always shined in all she did. It was her greatest gift of Rao."

Helena stepped away from the conversation when the buzzing of her phone against her hip repeated for the third time. "What?"

The person on the other line paused at the snapped response.  _"That's no way to speak to your favorite brother."_

"We're not related, Dick."

" _Sure, we are. You near a TV?"_

"No, why?"

" _Not important. The TV thing. Superwoman has been spotted in DC. Based on her trajectory, she's headed to where you are."_

"Could be a coincidence."

" _I doubt it. It's a literal beeline, Hel."_

"I'll tell Karen."

"No need to." Karen super-sped to the doorway wearing her Power Girl uniform. "I think it's high time I meet this 'Superwoman'."

**X**

Jimmy tapped the answer to his final question with a satisfied smile. He closed the tablet and slid it into his bag. "This wasn't the direction I was expecting for this, but I'm glad it went the way it did." Kane matched Jimmy's expression. "Hopefully, Mr. White feels the same."

"Hopefully." Jimmy reached down to adjust the camera in his bag to fit with the tablet better. "I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Olsen." He paused from what he was doing and glanced up at Kane. "I know Linda Danvers was writing this article when she was in Gotham. I saw the two of you at the gala that night, you looked close," he clarified.

"We were… And thank you." He grabbed his satchel and stood up, followed by Colonel Kane who walked by Jimmy to open the door for him. "I am sorry," he said at the open door, "I didn't stop by sooner, what with your daughter being a friend of Linda's too."

Kane frowned. "She was? She never mentioned it."

"I'm sure she had her reasons."

"Kate tells me so little these days." He nodded and pulled the door open a little wider. "I'm sure you're right about her having reasons. Have a good day, Mr. Olsen."

Jimmy grasped Kane's outstretched hand and shook it firmly. "You too, Colonel Kane." The colonel closed the door behind Jimmy, which left him alone in the long hallway. He walked down the left side. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of another red-head sitting in the living room staring at him. "Miss Kane."

"Mr. Olsen." A beat of silence passed. "Had a good interview?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "Your father is one of the good ones."

"He always has been."

"That wasn't in question."

"You could have fooled me."

"I didn't ask for this, Miss Kane."

"Oh, really?" Kate stood and crossed her arms. "Then why are you here?"

"The Planet assigned me this story."

"Why?"

"Linda." Jimmy wondered if Katherine Kane was the kind of woman to get thrown by anything. If she wasn't, he suspected this was one of those rare times when she flinched. "The Planet assigned all of her old stories to various reporters. I was assigned this one. I'm sorry, Kate. I asked to have this buried, but they didn't listen."

"Do you miss her?" This time it was Jimmy's turn to get thrown.

"All the time."

"Me too… You were engaged to her once, weren't you?" He nodded. "Then I doubt I can compare what I feel with you."

Jimmy shook his head and placed a hand on Kate's shoulder. "Kate, it's obvious you loved her and she felt the same. She was broken up with how she treated you the night of the party. Just because I've known her for years while you knew her for a few months doesn't mean there's no comparison. That's stupid. Pain is pain. Loss is loss." He pulled his hand away and cleared his throat. "I have to get back to work. If you  _ever_  wanna talk. More people than you know are in the same situation as you."

Kate gave an incredulous laugh. "I doubt it, but thank you anyway."

Jimmy adjusted his Caribbean blue bow-tie and cleared his throat. "I feel ya. But you gotta talk some time, Kane. After the announcement, I bottled up all my anger and frustration and took it out on more than a few souls."

"Mr. Olsen. I am talked out. It's time for me to move on. And I'm letting myself do that."

A couple creases formed on Jimmy's forehead then smoothed out as his eyebrows raised, as if he learned something he wasn't expected to know. "Okay." He stepped around the coffee table to his right and headed to the front door. "Maybe you and I will see each other again, Miss Kane."

Kate crossed her arms and exhaled with a slight snort. "I hope not, Mr. Olsen."

"Fair enough." When the door clicked softly behind Jimmy, Kate let out a breath and closed her eyes.

"Kate?" She opened them to her father standing where James had been earlier when he first entered the living room after the interview. "Can we talk?"

**X**

When she entered the museum in DC, she had not planned to go to the Supergirl exhibition. But when the man at the desk encouraged her to go in while the crowd was thin, she couldn't resist. Her time wandering through had been quiet, which is what she loved about museums, until the lady. "Is it your favorite?"

"Hm?"

"I said, is it your favorite?"

The ginger woman sitting on looked between the brunette—the woman had every bit the mom vibe—and the enlarged photograph mounted on the wall before them. "Not really."

"Oh." The woman blinked then blinked again with a smile before sitting next to her. "Me neither. It's too sad. Mine is the one at the entrance, where she's smiling up at the sun."

"Is it."

"Oh yes. That Jimmy Olsen sure knows how to capture her in her best light." It didn't go unmissed by the woman or this mom-lady that nearly every image of Supergirl had been taken by Jimmy Olsen some time over his career.

"He gets around."

"My name is Pam, by the way."

The woman took Pam's hand in hers. "Tess."

"Nice to meet you, Tess. What brought you here?"

Tess shrugged and adjusted the National City sharks cap. "Needed some quiet. Thought a stroll through the museum would be best."

"I understand completely. I have three kids at home who love to monopolize my attention. A little peace and quiet is definitely needed."

"Quiet. If only," Tess muttered under her breath. When Pam got distracted by a baby crying on the other side of the room, Tess's eyes slid to the photograph in front of them. It was taken rather early on in Supergirl's career. Tess remembered that day. Her brother had been strutting around their DC apartment with too much bravado and arrogance to tolerate. It forced her to leave the apartment and go for a walk during that bleak and cold fall afternoon. Her wandering led her to a large mob of people dressed in black. She ended up following them, grateful most of her clothes were dark in color, until she was at the National Mall where it thousands of people were gathered. Then she remembered.

Wonder Girl's funeral.

From her place in the crowd, Tess saw Wonder Woman and several other uniformed heroes that day. She hadn't noticed Supergirl, but someone had. The photographer was an unknown, but his camera beautifully captured her face and several Teen Titans. The picture's description spoke about her compassion for her fellow heroes. That wasn't what attracted Tess; it was the anger. Tess knew that look of deep-seated fury with aching familiarity. She liked to think the photographer saw it too. Not the sadness that curled at her mouth, but the promise of vengeance in her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes. "So much anger, and yet people loved her."

"What?" Tess distracted Pam from the funny faces she was making at the baby from a distance.

"People loved her. Why?"

"Why?" Pam rubbed her hands along her jeans as she pursed her lips and stared at the photo. "What's not to like?"

"How about the fact she nearly killed the entire Justice League? Or perhaps the way she came close to decimating several of her opponents in recent years."

"Oh, that. Yes." Pam glanced over her shoulder at the picture of the angry Supergirl whose eyes were red with heat vision. "Crowds are fickle things. Can't say I didn't hate Supergirl myself when she went evil."

"Yet everyone forgave her."

"Not everyone. Some of my coworkers still flinch whenever they see a red cape speed through the air."

"Then her reputation didn't recover entirely."

"I guess not. It helped she's a Super. If she was a Luthor, I doubt people would have the same love for her. I know the country is split on Lex Luthor and his run for presidency. He says all the right things, but will he  _do_  the right things?"

"What's right is relative."

"Oh, I don't believe that. I doubt you do, too." Pam sighed and rubbed at the place above her heart. "I wish I could have met her. She seemed so sweet."

Tess look at the picture of the angry Supergirl then at the one in front of her. "Sure."

**X**

Kate's nails made 'tink' noises as she tapped them against her tea cup. Her father's hands were fully wrapped around his with his elbows supported on the kitchen's island. He stood across from Kate who sat on one of the kitchen stools.

"How close were you and Miss Danvers?"

The question stopped the tapping. "Friends, kind of. We only knew each other for a few months, but something about her…" Kate took a long sip of her English Breakfast tea as she searched for the right word. "Spirit, endeared her to me."

The colonel's lips twitched upward at the confession. "She was quite the reporter."

Kate exhaled a shallow laugh, one of amusement not strong enough to emote a full chuckle. "I never realized until I listened in on her interview with you."

Kane's eyebrows rose. "I didn't realize you were eavesdropping."

"I didn't mean to. I just happened to be in the next room. But when I heard your voice then Linda's well, I couldn't help myself. She knew. Came into the library after you left. We spoke a little of what happened, but were interrupted."

"The Intergang story." Kate nodded. "That was an impressive piece. Even I knew a Pulitzer was coming her way after that." The two sunk into a warm silence until Kane broke it with a splash of cold water. "Were you in love with her?"

Conflict flashed in Kate's eyes and flexed her fingers into a more encompassing hold of her drink. "Yes," came the whispered confession.

"Did she know?"

She pushed pass the lump in her throat and answered with a strained, "Yes."

"And?"

"There's a reason we never moved passed friends."

"Then she never felt the same as you."

"We never really discussed it, not explicitly anyway."

"Oh, sweetie." Kate allowed for the moment of comfort from her father as he reached across the counter and ran his fingers across her left knuckles. No more than a moment because she stepped back before she set the cup down.

"She's gone, dad. I need to move on. Simple as that."

"Is it?" Kate never answered the question and Jacob Kane never asked it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few of these scenes actually were supposed to happen in other chapters. This is why the chapter tooks so long, it just didn't sit right with me on how it was originally constructed


	9. Chapter Nine - Knocking Heads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long (and is so short). I felt like something was missing and in reality I'm more keen on getting to the plot in the next chapter titled, "Before the Journey."

The sky over Maryland was a cloudless, baby blue sky so clear you could see the moon in it. A red and blue line cut across the picture-perfect canvas. Based on its speed it couldn't be a plane and with how steady it stayed it wasn't a bird either. A camera zoomed onto the figure, but couldn't get close enough to capture the face, only the costume. Several clicks followed the push of the shutter button before the camera was lowered.

Lana Lang placed the camera in the front passenger seat of her car and pulled her Android phone from her jacket pocket. She scrolled through the contacts for a second then tapped on the one she wanted. He picked up after one ring.

" _Lana?"_

"Hello, Emery.  _We_  need to talk."

A breath of silence preceded his reply.  _"If you are in Maryland that means you've seen Liylah."_

"How do you… Never mind, of course you know where I am. Based on her trajectory, she's beelining it for DC. Is there a particular reason?"

" _I'm not Liylah's keeper."_

"Yes, you are."

Emery sighed.  _"She's on her way to see Power Girl."_

Lana's eyes widened for a moment. "Is she stupid? Karen will tear her apart."

" _Let's hope it does not come to that."_

Superwoman was five minutes away from DC when she spotted a white dot in the distance. The flutter of her cape ceased as she came to a stop in the sky and was met with Power Girl. "I was hoping to run into you."

Power Girl stopped 15 feet from her and put her hands on her hips. "Were you." She ran her eyes over Superwoman's costume. The suit was full body, like Superman's, with long sleeves and pants. There was a cowl covering her upper face and hood over that. Power Girl noticed the gloves when Superwoman flexed her hands. "The suit's a little overkill, don't you think? Not even Supergirl covered that much skin."

"No more than Batman. Plus, even I have a secret identity.  _And,_ " not even the mask could cover the way Superwoman's eyes narrowed at Power Girl's chest then legs, "I believe in being modest."

Power Girl pouted and crossed her arms. "What does that make me?" By this time, Superwoman and Power Girl had begun to circle around the other.

"I believe the Earth word for it is… skank."

Power Girl curled her hand into a fist. "What do you want?"

"Like I said, to meet you. When I realized you returned I knew it was important for us to be face to face."

"For what reason?"

"Supergirl dies and suddenly this woman comes out of nowhere and promises to fill in that absence. Wouldn't you want to know something about her?"

"What gives you the gall to take Supergirl's place?"

Superwoman stopped. "I'm not replacing Supergirl. I would never do that. I know how dear Kara Zor-El was to you, Miss Starr."

Karen growled, "How do you know my name?"

"I know many things. How about I share those things with you?"

"How about I punch you in the face?"

Superwoman smiled. "So be it." The thunderous meeting of Superwoman vs. Power Girl was so loud most of DC thought a bomb exploded somewhere uptown. It might as well have.

**X**

Jimmy frowned as the focus on his new Nikon camera got worse as he fiddled with it. "See," he said showing Clark Kent what he had, "this— _this_ —is why I use Canon."

Clark smiled and shook his head with brotherly amusement. "You're just not used to it."

"I don't see why I can't use my old one."

"Because an anonymous donation ensured that every photojournalist was equipped with a new camera."

Jimmy scowled up at the Luthor Corp banner hanging above the stage in the Metropolis Hilton Grand Ballroom. "You think it was Lex?"

Clarke shook his head. "Lex wouldn't have made it anonymous." His eyes drifted to the exit stage left. "But  _she_  would."

Cameras flashed in a staccato rhythm, including Jimmy's, as the one and only Lena Luthor stepped into the room. She was flanked on all sides by four large bodyguards, as she smoothly took the steeps up onto the stage. Shouts had also filled the room along with the cameras, but the moment she approached the podium and mike the room fell silent except for the clicks of the cameras.

Lena brushed a strand of red hair out of her face then took a breath. "Ladies and gentlemen, I want to begin this to same I am thankful you are all here. I also want to be brief in my speech since most people struggle with paying attention longer than five minutes." Polite chuckles followed the statement. "Now, many of you have been diligent in your job and pestered my PR department for the past week as to the reason for this press conference. It's rather simple." Lena cleared her throat. "With my brother putting his running in for president, he will no longer have the time he needs to take care of Luthor Corp. For that reason, I have stepped in as the new COO."

Clark and Jimmy exchanged looks as a frenzy of cameras flashed and reporters cried out for attention. "Is it just me," said Jimmy, "or do you have a  _bad_  feeling about this?"

Clark sighed. "You have no idea." His phone buzzed. It was a text from Lana. "Uh-oh."

"What? What is it?"

"There's an emergency at home. I've got to go." Clark motioned toward Lena. "You got this."

Jimmy snapped some photographs of Lena. "Yeah, I got this." Clark stuck his notebook in Jimmy's bag and slipped out a side exit.

"Go get 'em, Superman," Jimmy whispered when he saw the blur of red and blue through the window. Superman could handle whatever world threatening issue had come up and he… well, with his years of experience, Jimmy could handle Lena Luthor.

**X**

Karen could not remember the last time she sweated. Not even during an impromptu showdown between her and Kara did she break into one. 'Sweating bullets' would be accurate statement as Karen—filled with disgust at the notion—wiped sweat threatening to get into her eyes. She wasn't sure if it was because of how much energy was ne eded to face Superwoman or how much they were restraining themselves to ensure no damage happened to the city below. What irritated Karen even more was that Superwoman didn't seem even close to as flustered as Karen.

"Everything all right, Power Girl? You are looking under the weather, correct? That is the term, right?"

Karen wiped at the sweat on her upper lip and grimaced. "I'm fine. Can't imagine how you're doing under all those layers."

Superwoman straightened her stand and smiled. "I am perfectly tepid, thank you."

"Who uses the word tepid?"

"I do."

At this time, Superman was cruising across the sky and was close enough to see their outlines without the assistance of his enhanced vision. He prepared to intervene as he closer when he spotted a familiar face nearby. "Connor?"

Superboy smiled over at him from his position high above the women. "If I had popcorn, I'd be eating some right now." Even though the they were several hundred feet away from each other, they could hear what the other was saying using their super hearing. Superman, however, floated closer until he was within reach of Superboy.

"How long have you been here?"

"Not long. Huntress gave me a heads up about Superwoman and Power Girl's eventual showdown. They've been knocking fists, but nothing too serious. I don't think they're really trying to hurt the other."

"Then what are they doing?"

Connor flinched when Superwoman got a clean shot at Power Girl's jaw and sent her careening towards the ground. She had another wherewithal to stop herself halfway and shoot back at Superwoman. "Sizing the other up, I think."

Several punches were thrown from each side when Superman said, "Do you think we should stop them?"

Connor tilted his head then shrugged. "They'll tire out, eventually." One punch from Power Girl—when it met Superwoman's hand—let out a sound wave. Connor flinched at the action. "It  _might_  not hurt if we stuck around for a little while."

"I agree."

**X**

Lena took in a breath of relief the second the door closed behind her. She dealt with a number of crazy—in the loosest sense—reporters back in National City, but this was a new level of intense. The intelligence and specificity of the questions thrown her way mere minutes ago threw her for a loop. It took all her Luthor training to keep from losing her temper and tell the jackals to f-off.

"Are you all right, Miss Luthor?" Genuine concerned etched the face of the bodyguard in front of her his left hand hovered over her shoulder.

"I'm fine. Thank you." She straightened her jacket and added, "There's a reason I preferred the labs over the cameras."

He smiled and placed his hand on his hip. "Mr. Luthor always liked to use the cameras to fuel him."

"Mr. Luthor is extrovert and has the ability to do so." It must have been the tone she used because the bodyguard only cleared his throat and stepped back from her. A pity since she was using that conversation to reenergize herself.

"Miss Luthor." Miss Tessmacher, with her bouncy curls and sunny disposition, came strolling down the hall with her iPad. "You're 3:30 appointment is here."

Lena frowned. "Here? As in the hotel, here?" Miss Tessmacher nodded. "Of course. I'll meet with him in my suites sitting room."

"Are you sure-?" Miss Tessmacher cut herself off at the raised eyebrow Lena sent her way. "Of course."

"And order a bottle of white wine for me. You know what kind I like. We wouldn't want to leave Mr. Wayne thirsty."


	10. Before The Journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To help with how long it's taken me to update, there are some notes bolded near the end of this chapter to jog your memory.

" _Her son. Hippolyta's son." Io watched as the Amazon's around her blinked or frowned or both at Nione announcement._

_"Hippolyta doesn't have a son," corrected Kara._

_"You are wrong. She did." Nione straightened her robes. "His name is Thrax, son of Ares, and he wants Hippolyta's head."_

Kara stood with crossed arms alone with the 'Demon Donna' as one guard described her. It was a slip of the tongue that earned her a month of armor cleaning duty. Kara did not entirely agree with the statement since the one possessing her wasn't a demon, but that was getting into semantics. Thrax-Donna—as Kara preferred—paced the confines of her (his?) cell. The cell now resembled a cage; Io had instructed a few of her subordinates to bring in more bars so Kara could reinforce the enclosure.

"Have you brought word from Nione?" The figure at the doorway sucked in a breath then shuffled up to Kara. The Kryptonian felt a presence at her right hand that pulled at it without touching as if drawn by gravity.

Cassandra folded her hands together as she stood with her blonde compatriot. "She scares me."

"It's not a 'she'. I mean… it  _is_ Donna's body, but that's not what's in there."

"Do you believe Nione? That it's this Thrax person?" Thrax-Donna stopped at the mention of his own name. It created a shiver down Kara's spine when she connected with the creature's eyes.

"I have no reason to doubt Nione. That doesn't mean, however, I didn't keep Io from her own personal quest to question the older Amazons on their knowledge of this," Kara's nose crinkled in disgust, "creature's existence."

"I would expect nothing less."

Kara released a snort then guided Cassandra out of the room by a touch of her fingers to the back of Cassandra's arm right above the elbow. "That thing's not going anywhere. Let's go find Nione and Diana. See if they found a spell or something to fix this."

Cassandra stepped out of Kara's reach. "Can we?"

Kara released a shaky breath. "We must."

**X**

_Hippolyta wrung her hands as she paced the dirt floor of her tent. Tomorrow was the wedding and the whole island was celebrating. Her chest constricted at the sound of fluttering fabric that was the entrance off her tent. When it stayed closed, she huffed and dug the ball of right foot into the ground. "Get ahold of yourself, your Majesty. You're getting married soon." A few more minutes of pacing and huffing ended with her taking her crown off and stripping. Only her tunic and sandals remained when the tent fluttered again, but instead of the wind it was Derinoe._

" _Queen Hippolyta."_

" _Derinoe? You cannot be here."_

" _You cannot marry him." The anguish in Derinoe's eyes made Hippolyta falter in her steps. Her gaze fell from her lover's face to her own outstretched arms. With a steadying breath she stiffened into a regal stance and placed her arms at her sides._

" _We had this conversation before, Derinoe."_

" _This is different. This is about your safety."_

" _My safety?" Realization came to Hippolyta as the words left her mouth. "Your jealousy is blinding you."_

" _It is not." The strength and confidence in Derinoe's voice made Hippolyta's eyes flutter and her mouth to open to make room for an inhale. "The prince has planned on killing you before the wedding. Once you're dead, he and his men will move."_

_Her eyes dropped to the ground at the break in Derinoe's voice. "And you know this, how?"_

" _Some of his men got drunk and bragged to their comrades. The other part, I assumed."_

" _Maybe you assumed too much."_

_"Or..." Hippolyta stiffened at the warm air hitting her face; it smelled like wine and something spiced. "I assumed just enough."_

"I know that look." Hippolyta jumped and turned in frustration at the woman who interrupted her memory. "Forgive me, my queen," Philippus said while in a deep bow to where her upper torso was parallel to the floor.

"General," Hippolyta brushed a fallen strand of her hair into place behind the crown, "what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Your daughter asked me to find you."

"And what does my daughter need?"

"She would not say, except that it pertained to Princess Donna. Her countenance was hopeful. Perhaps she has found a way to restore Princess Donna's soul?"

"We can only hope. First, I need to speak to Derinoe."

When Hippolyta was in reach of the door to the throne room, Philippus grasped her wrist with her fingertips. "What is happening is not your fault."

"You are correct, Philippus, it is not. We cannot say the same about what happened millennia ago."

"We could not have known what the prince was planning."

"That is true. I  _can_ say this though, you and Derinoe's instincts were correct about him and I did not listen. Derinoe was cursed because of my lack of caution and occasional impetuousness."

"She saved your life."

"And lost the life she could have had with me."

"Is that what you regret the most?"

Hippolyta took Philippus' hand in her left and removed it from her wrist. "It is so much more than that." The general waited the proper number of footsteps before following her queen.

**X**

Kara and Cassandra entered the library to find Diana hunched over several opened scrolls. The crinkles around her eyes reminded Kara of Donna in a flash of memory during one of their rare missions together.

"Find anything of help?" Diana sighed loudly. "I'll take that as a no."

"Nione left for the temple to see if there were books on what can be done."

"What if there isn't anything?" Cassandra sucked in a breath with wide eyes after the question slipped out.

When Kara saw the anger on Diana's face, she knew it needed to be diverted to protect the other blonde. "She has a point." Like she hoped, it turned on her. "If Thrax can't be removed, we need to have another plan. We can't allow a body of Donna's power to be fueled by a sociopathic mass murderer."

"We will find a way."

"You need to have a plan B."

"I do not. We will figure it out."

"I thought  _I_  was the hopeful saccharine one amongst us? Turns out it's you right now."

The table shook as Diana slammed her hands down. "I am not killing my baby sister!"

"That is not your baby sister. That is  _not_  Donna in there!" Kara cleared her throat. "Diana, that is a monster who plans to kill your mother, you, and anyone else who gets in his way."

"We're not killing her." Diana shook her head. "We're not destroying Donna's body. There has to be a way to remove Thrax and restore Donna."

"How do you know Donna isn't in the Elysian Fields at peace? Why would she want to return if she's there?"

"Because she isn't." Kara, Diana, and Cassandra jumped as Nione strode into the library carrying two tomes with her.

"Where is she?" asked Diana.

"Tartarus." The air was sucked out of the room. Nione set the tomes down and opened them to specific pages. "I passed your mother," she said in Diana's direction, "on my way here. I assume she's going to visit Penelope."

"It's not Penelope," corrected Kara. "Her name is Derinoe."

Nione blinked. "I haven't heard that name in  _years_." She blinked again. "Anyway. I am unsure of the specifics of the spell Circe used so I cannot be certain, but there is a chance it went awry. If Derinoe is the orchestrator of this mess then I am certain this was not the planned outcome. Derinoe would  _never_  want that Amazon-killing-maniac running around in our princess's body no less."

"Then what happened?"

Nione ran her index finger across her lips at Kara's question. "It's no small secret Hades has kept Thrax as his personal prisoner. Kind of like monkey in cage. It was as much his punishment as it was Ares' for daring to defy Olympus. Once I know what is in the spell, I can give a better answer. The only thing I cannot understand is how Donna, whom Hermes confirmed was in the Elysian Fields, could have gotten mixed up with Thrax?"

"Maybe the spell wasn't specific enough," said Cassandra. "Or maybe it was sabotaged? Or maybe this is what they wanted all along?"

When Nione smiled, Kara reached out and ran her hand over Cassandra's shoulder. "We need to find Circe," she said with a smile when Cassandra leaned into her. "Queen Hippolyta will speak with this Derinoe, but she wasn't the only one involved. The question is, how do we summon Circe?"

Nione had a mischievous grin. "I have an idea, but first," she said with a snap of her fingers, "I believe Cassandra is pivotal in defeating Thrax."

"She is?"

"I am?"

Nione nodded at Kara and Cassandra. "Thrax was the first born of Ares and a monster raised to be the destroyer of all those Ares hated. But Cassandra…" The demigoddess flinched at what Nione would say next. "Cassandra is the daughter of Ares. She was born to wield his title, someday. You would not think that is important, but it is. Ares—at the time of Thrax's conception—was at war with Olympus and thus the Amazons. He was blinded by rage and bloodthirst. Over the years, through various wars and peacetimes, Ares' bloodthirst waned. Cassandra was conceived when War was his most peaceful."

"And that makes a difference?" asked Kara.

Nione nodded again. "For mortals, how a child are conceived has no effect on who the child will become. A child conceived from rape could be the most delightful person, especially if he or she is raised well. While a child conceived in a loving home could turn out to be a potential serial killer. There is no way to know who and what the child will become." She cleared her throat and opened one of the tomes to a specific page. "Gods are different, at least of the Grecian and Bana-Migdhal variety. How their offspring is conceived can and  _will_  determine much of their temperament, this is in addition to how they are raised. I cannot tell you the circumstances of his conception, only Hippolyta can, but I can say he was raised to be a shedder of much blood."

Diana set her hands on the table and leaned over to get a clear look at the writing Nione was pointing to. "How does this relate to Cassandra?"

"Her and Thrax share blood. I think we can use her to dispel Thrax from Donna's body and give him a temporary corporeal form."

"I'm sensing a then or however, here."

Nione's lips twitched, as if holding back a smirk, before pursing with concern along with her furrowed brow. "And then we must return Thrax's wicked soul to its rightful place."

"How?"

"The Underworld. We must go to it. We must go to Hades. It is the only way."

**X**

"Say the word and I'll slap that smirk right off her face." Philippus didn't react to Artemis's muttered threat as she shut the door of the room, but Scyleia couldn't suppress her snort. Phoebe elbowed her sister, but didn't bother to hide her matching smile. Several meters away from them stood Hippolyta. The light of the rising sun shone through the slits passing as the prison's windows with spotlight accuracy on the queen. Beautiful would be the word to use on Hippolyta. Not so much the word to use on Penelope. While the queen stood in warmth with a true air or regality, Penelope was bathed in greys and shadows. The purple circles around her eyes darkened under the lighting. Pure hatred stared at Hippolyta.

"Shall I begin this conversation then? Since it seems you have no intention of telling me anything."

"You do not get to tell me what my intentions are."

Hippolyta flinched. "You are locked up with a death sentence hanging over your head much like Damocles' sword.  _My_  intention is to see you executed."

"Except you cannot. Not while I possess Penelope's body." Phoebe stepped forward with a tightened grip on her spear the moment Derinoe began to run her hands over Penelope's waist. Scyleia stopped her with a grip to her bicep. "And it is such a lovely body."

Disgust pulled at Hippolyta's upper lip. "I am here because you asked me to be here. My daughter has called for me, as well. I would rather be with her than here. So," she made as if to leave, "if you have no purpose for my presence."

"Stop!" Hippolyta allowed her own smirk to grace her lips at the desperation in Derinoe's voice.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to see you. To see how you have changed."

Hippolyta frowned. "I am an immortal. We all are. I have not changed since we arrived on this blessed island."

"Blessed for you, for your daughter, for your people, for," her eyes flicked to Philippus, "those who love you. It is a curse for me. I who was transform all those years ago for saving you." Hippolyta's head bowed in shame. "You have changed. Every year since Diana's creation, you changed. I may have become a hermit amongst the jungle, but I still watched. You are right, we do not age. Change, however, is possible. Every year you grew more beautiful as your love for your daughter grew."

"What is it you want?" asked Hippolyta whose voice had tightened to a whisper after hearing Derinoe speak.

"Diana is not worthy of being our ambassador. Everyone knows how she is in-love with that  _man._  If it was the Kryptonian, I would understand. It had to be a human though, a human man."

" _That_ is why you did this? Because of my daughter's love for a mortal?"

Derinoe shook Penelope's head. "Revenge, at first. I wanted something powerful enough to kill your daughter and hurt you, but worthy enough to take her place. Donna was perfect. She loved no one outside of her people."

"Your full intention was to resurrect Donna herself?"

Derinoe pulled a face that if in her own body would be of irritation; instead, on Penelope's it came across as confusion. "Of course. Donna was perfect."

"Then they have not told you, Donna was  _not_ the one who came back. As you squat in that body, another does the same in Donna's."

Philippus and the others halfway shift to defensive poses when Penelope stands. "What do you mean?"

"Word reached me before Nione could speak with me, but she confirmed it. Thrax, my son with Ares, is the one who possesses Donna's body. He has every intention to exact his revenge on me and the others who sealed his death and his father's defeat."

"That is impossible. The spell was to call forth Donna in her  _entirety_. Not that  _monster_  you birthed." Philippus could not see her queen's face, but guessed as to what it looked like as Hippolyta pulled her shoulders back.

"You are correct that I allowed myself to be seduced by a god who intended to impregnate me to exact his revenge upon his family. It is my fault I trusted Ares… Much like what happened to you." Philippus and Derinoe held matched expressions of surprise. "For both, I am truly sorry." She bowed her head along with apology. "That, however, is in the past. I cannot change it no matter how much I plead with Chronos to turn back the events of those years. Time moves forward despite any level of effort we put forth against it. And time is running out, the longer Thrax stays in Donna's body, the less likely we can remove him. That is why I need you to tell me what spell you used."

The anger on Penelope's face turned into a pained grimace. "If only to restore Donna's soul." Her fingers twirled the end of her hair as she sat back on her cot. "There are four main ingredients: the blood of one who's defeated death  **[taken in chapter 4]** , the bones of the deceased  **[stolen in chapter 5]** , the root of an ambrosia plant from an immortal's garden  **[received in chapter 2]** , and a priestess to enact the ceremony  **[Derinoe through the possession of Penelope]**.And it had to take place during our most holy week. There, are you happy now?"

"Not quite. How long do I have to reverse it?"

Penelope growled as she exhaled. "Til the end of the holy week. That gives you a little over five days."

Hippolyta gave her a slight bow of the head. "Thank you."

"That is, it?!" She yelled as Hippolyta walked away. "That is all you came for?" The queen did not react to the yelling or when it turned to incomprehensible raging. Philippus opened the door to find Artemis standing there with her two lieutenants. The three bowed to the exiting queen and entered the room with the others.

Artemis stared down the Derinoe-possessed Penelope. "We need to remove her from Penelope. I cannot stand looking at her until then," Artemis said with a clenched jaw.

Philippus patted her on the shoulder. "We will. Nione will find a way."


	11. The Fates Decide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be forewarned, the flashbacks you are about to read is from my first fanfic that started this all titled, Gettin' By. Not only is it in first person present-tense, but it is also mediocre writing.

_***** _ _"Do you normally drink two coffees at the same time?" Barbara's friend says this while keeping her eyes on her coffee, which had two containers of cream and three packs of sugar added to it since I came to the table. I look down and realize not only did I grab my coffee but Maggie's too._

" _What? Oh, no. I was having coffee with a friend of mine but she had to leave."_

" _Well, would like to join us?" asks Barbara._

" _No, I was about to leave anyway when I saw you."_

" _Eh-hem. Babs, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" says the brunette. I watch her as she looks up at me and takes a sip of her sugar and cream-saturated coffee._

" _Oh, I'm sorry. Kate Kane, meet Linda Lee-Danvers, an old friend of mine."_

" _Old? We hardly qualify as being old, Babs." Barbara makes a face at Linda who just rolls her eyes._

" _I meant we've been friends for a long time."_

" _How did you two meet?" I ask._

" _At college. I was starting my Masters when Linda was a freshman at Metropolis University." I look at Linda. She looked younger than Barbara but just a tad._

" _Metropolis University, that's a hard college to get into," I say to Linda._

" _It helps to be smart and have family living in Metropolis."_

" _Linda's cousin lives there. He works for the Daily Planet, like Linda."_

" _You work for the Daily Planet?" I ask her._

_She shrugs and leans back in her seat. "It's not as big a deal as you think. Barb just likes to boast about it."_

" _I wouldn't have to if you did it yourself." Linda rolls her eyes from behind her thick black glasses._

_While standing there, I get a good look at her. Her brown hair is long and pretty, but it would be better if it wasn't up in a hair-tie. Her eyes hide behind black, thick-rimmed glasses that keep sliding down her nose. Even with her dorky glasses, it doesn't hide the fact her skin is flawless. And even though she is sitting, I can tell show tall she. I don't get why someone, who might have a chance to be gorgeous, would hide herself behind such a geeky facade._

Kate laughed to herself over the moment that started it all. Well, more so over the fact she understood why Kara dressed herself the way she did in her Linda Lee-Danvers persona. It occurred to her once she sat own that morning, she was sitting at the same table her and Maggie had during that fateful day. She pressed fast-forward on the memory to when Linda left after a work call either for a story or a Supergirl-related situation.

" _I'm sorry Babs, it's the office." Linda holds up her cellphone. "I've got to go. We'll continue our conversation tonight at dinner." She stands and puts her hand out to shake mine. I'm taken back by how tall she is. Linda is a good two inches taller than me, even with her slight slouch. I grab her hand in mine and shake it. Her hand is warm, almost hot. "Nice to meet you, Miss Kane, I hope we meet again. See ya, Babs." Linda takes her bag off her chair and slings it over her shoulder. She stumbles a little to the right from the weight. "See ya."_

_I watch Linda Lee-Danvers walk out the door and head down the sidewalk while pulling out her cellphone again and calling whoever beeped her. "So, Kate," says Barbara, "what do you think of Linda?" I look outside at the passing cars and people walking to and from places._

" _She's nice… if you like brunettes."_

Kate's fingernails created muted clinking noises as she tapped the ceramic mug in her hands. She found that every time she entered this café her mind drifted to that day without fail. Linda Lee-Danvers… Kara Zor-El… These women—this woman—invaded her life without consent and without contestation. Losing them when she thought they were separate people broke her more than expected, learning they were one person hurt more than she wanted. Why Kara had kept her identities separate, even after revealing as Supergirl that she knew Kate Kane and Batwoman were the same person mystified her. It wasn't fair. It had been nine months since her death and Kate still couldn't move on. She blinked up in surprise when a pair of wing-tipped shoes entered her peripheral, familiar ones at that.

"Bruce." The café whispered as the handsome billionaire smiled at her.

"Mind if I join you?"

Kate waved her hand at the seat across from her. "Not at all, cousin." Bruce chuckled at the endearment. Bruce's maternal grandmother and Kate's paternal grandfather were 1st cousins, or maybe it went back farther than that. The point was, Kate and Bruce always knew of their familial ties, but never spoke about it. It wasn't until Kate learned he was Batman that their blood ties became more important to them. A waiter came up and took Bruce's order of a simple black coffee with cream and raw sugar on the side.

"Selena's back in town," he said when the young man left. "For good this time."

"Is that important to you?"

"It is. I travel a lot, but Gotham is my home."

"It's hers, too."

"Hm," was Bruce's reply as he folded his hands and leaned his forearms on the table. The weather was cooling, which allowed Bruce to wear a suit with a thin jacket over it. Kate took a sip of her coffee as her eyes drifted to the surrounding people. Most had gone back to their conversations while a few kept their eyes on Bruce.

"Linda." Kate to nearly choked on her coffee. "Linda was the one who encouraged me to change to raw sugar."

"I didn't ask." She coughed into the napkin Bruce had handed her.

"I saw the way your eyebrows raised when I asked for it. I'm more of a two percent and Splenda guy myself, but Linda was always adamant I go for the real stuff."

"I once watched her put six sugars and three creamers in a medium cup of coffee. I wanted to gag."

Bruce chuckled. "She liked honey, too. Depends on the brand of coffee and if there was honey available. I've seen her put a few packets or a long drizzled of it in the more bitter varieties."

"Of course, she did." Kate sighed into her cup that was now empty. "I miss her, Bruce. More than I thought. I miss them both."

Bruce's eyes sharpened at the last phrase then softened. "Me too."

"I'd give anything to see her one more time." Kate heard more than saw the inhale Bruce took before he shut his mouth. Instead, he reached out and patted her left hand. If that was all the comfort he could give in public, Kate would take it.

**X**

Pinks and Robin egg blues brushed the sky like a magnificent water color painting. Kara closed her eyes to seal the picture in her head and enjoy the warmth of the rising sun. A different warmth enveloped her left shoulder. She slotted her fingers with Diana's as the older woman stepped closer to the window.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier."

"You're forgiven."

"Thank you." Diana removed her hand and stepped to the other side of the window to parallel Kara. "Cassandra is getting briefed on what Nione will need from her to extract Thrax from Donna's body."

A crinkle formed between Kara's eyebrows. "What will happen to her body once it's without a soul?"

"That's where you come in," Kara raised an eyebrow, "Nione thinks she has a spell, but is not sure how it will affect a body twice-dead. I believe your freeze breath will be useful in preserving Donna's form."

"If her body is encased for too long, it could cause damage to her cells, even an Amazonian's. How long will we be in the Underworld?"

"It's hard to say. Time moves differently amongst the gods. An hour to us could be decades to them and vice versa."

"Fun," she replied with a pop of her lips at the end.

The clanking of metal alerted them to approaching guards before Hippolyta entered with Philippus and the others behind her. "Do you have news?" the queen asked.

"We do." Nione beckoned the queen over to her even though Hippolyta had first veered towards Diana. They were caught in Nione's monologuing as Kara and Diana looked on in amusement.

"We will save her, Diana." The princess relaxed into Kara's touch as she petted the back of the brunette's head. "I know I threw doubts at you earlier, but I have faith in Nione's abilities  _and_  in ours. If the Fates decide it, it will happen." Nione grabbed red chalk out of a small cloth sack and drew on the floor of the library. Kara chuckled at the look on Artemis' face as she walked in and saw what Nione was doing. "I think she's channeling Alexa."

Diana smiled. "You might be right." A gloomy expression overtook Diana. "She should not have died."

"No," Kara said with a shake of her head. "She should not." Nione spoke to a guard who left soon after a simple nod. "What are the odds Circe being the one who killed Alexa and Menalippe?"

"Great."

Kara let out a mixture between a groan and a growl. "What are the odds Artemis figured that out?" They noticed the way Artemis separated herself from the others and stared at the spell Nione was writing into the floor. Her fingers cycled between curling and uncurling around the hilt of her sword.

"The same." Hippolyta motioned to her daughter to join her in a conversation between her and Philippus. Kara took that moment to join Artemis.

"You know," she said when a few meters away, "that sword is of no use during this holy time."

Artemis pulled her hand away from the jeweled hilt. "Alexa gave this to me as a birthday gift."

"I've never seen you wear it."

"I told Alexa it was too small for me. She said I needed a new dagger."

Kara smiled. "She was not wrong." Kara placed a hand on her left triceps. "I am sorry, Artemis."

The somber countenance on Artemis' faced morphed into pure anger. "Not as Circe will be after we summon her."

"Justice will come upon her, Artemis. There's no need for you to exact it yourself."

Artemis frowned. "You believe I would take revenge? You think me that impulsive?" Kara opened her mouth, but Artemis dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Never mind, I know you only say this with affection and concern." Her hand returned to her sword. "I do want to kill, Circe. Though I think it impossible for me. I am a warrior. I have no knowledge on how to face against someone magical like Circe… Alexa would."

The guard returned along with two healers. Nione directed them to stand equidistantly at six points at the edge of the circle and place the ingredients for the spell, which were mostly plants, at their feet. The ladies stepped back as Nione chanted from the book she held. Kara looked around the room and cocked her head. In movies, spells are done at night in temples or creaky, abandoned houses. They are not done in brightly lit libraries with a basic shape written in chalk on stone and a handful of strategically placed flowers.

The space above the circle crackled and became distorted like when gas or intense heat hits the air. Small blue sparks sprinkled the air before a loud pop and smoke preceded the sudden arrival of Circe. Kara laughed the second the air cleared and Circe's frazzled demeaner appeared; even Artemis grinned.

"How  _dare_ you-?"

"Silence!" Circe flinched at Nione's command. "You are not here to argue. You are here because we plan to use you to restore Donna. And do not pretend you are ignorant of Derinoe's failed spell."

"You wish to reverse the spell."

"No, we wish to restore Donna,  _properly_  this time, and return Thrax to where he belongs."

"And if I do not cooperate with your little plan?" Circe said with a sneer.

Nione threw one back at her and said, "Then a certain goddess will get the name of a certain sorceress that stole vital plants from her garden."

Circe narrowed her eyes at the priestess, but crossed her arms and nodded. "Fine. When do we do this 'restoration'?"

"Now."

**X**

" _Are you dating anyone?"_

_Linda smiles then sets her glass of water on the coffee table. "No, but there is someone who likes me." My heart beats faster._

" _Is it someone I know?" Linda says nothing, but stands up and walks over. My heart beats like a hummingbird's as she slides in the chair with me; the side of our legs, thighs, hips, and shoulders fully against each other's._

" _Depends…"_

" _Depends on what?"_

_Linda locks eyes with me. "Depends on if she's willing to tell me how she feels."_

_Busted._

_I close my eyes and take a breath. After picturing countless different ways about how this would go, this was definitely not on the list. Just as I'm about to open my eyes, there's a slight pressure on my left temple. I can't help as my eyes flutter open but all I see are dark curls._

_Linda pulls away from me and smiles the softest and most beautiful smile I have ever seen. "I know Kate. I've known for a while."_

" _H-How?" I whisper out._

" _I'm a reporter, remember?" She runs her fingers through several strands of my hair then puts her right arm around my shoulders to pull me in. It feels like I'm cuddling with a warm teddy-bear; a fit, drop-dead gorgeous teddy-bear. "So, why don't you tell me how your day went and we'll go from there."_

Kate's eyes fluttered as she ran her thumb over the card Linda left for her that following morning. It was a white card with cartoon heads of various gingers. Her speakers played Cherish the Ladies' "Green Grow the Rushes, O"; the lead singers pitch perfect alto voice brought a melancholy over Kate's face. A deep ache filled her chest as the song built up before fading into a long instrumental outro.

"Celtic music. You're in a mood. How was the store?"

Kate nodded and blinked back the tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "Work was good. A nice steady flow of customers. It made doing inventory hard for a while until Michelle came in during lunch."

"Anyone interesting?" Bette watched as Kate placed the card back on the mantel. She dropped her bag on the couch and headed to the kitchen. "How's Maggie?" she asked as she poured a glass of milk.

"Maggie's good."

"And the two of you? Are you official yet?"

"Not yet."

"Hm," was Bette's reply before she put the milk away.

"What do you mean, 'hm'?"

"Nothing." She took a sip as she held the mug with both of her hands. "It's just you two have been dating for a while now."

"We're taking it slow."

Bette frowned. "Kate, there's taking it slow and then there's dragging your feet."

Kate turned on Bette with anger in her eyes but it dissipated. "Maggie's been so patient with me." She slipped her hands in her pockets. "It's not fair on her."

"You know," Bette moved around the kitchen counter, "I assumed Maggie was the one that wanted it slow with her being a cop and all. I didn't expect it to be you."

"Every time we're about to take the next step, I put the brakes on."

"And Maggie wants to move forward."

"Yes."

"Is that what you want?" Kate sighed.

"It should be."

Bette sat on the sofa and motioned for Kate to do the same. She put her mug on the coffee table, ignoring the glare from Kate for not using a coaster, and took both of Kate's hands in hers. "Kate, you are not obligated to date Maggie. You're not obligated to date  _anyone_. What you  _are_  obligated to do is tell Maggie if you don't want to move forward. You  _are_  obligated to break-up with her to not string her along. And you  _are_  obligated to finish mourning Supergirl and Linda."

Kate's eyes flashed up at that. Bette rolled hers. "Please, Kate, I'm not stupid. Now I don't know which one you're in-love with, probably both, and I don't have to. It's been nine months, and you didn't date either of them. Not to be a bitch, but you need to get over this funk of yours and face your feelings for those ladies." She let go of Kate's hands. "Have you visited either of their graves?" Kate shook her head. "Huh. Then go do that because you'll be able decide, once you do."

Kate flopped in the corner of the couch against the arm. "I hope so."

**X**

Cassandra, Nione, Kara, Circe, and Artemis stood across from the snarling Donna. Kara and Artemis flanked Cassandra with Kara having her right hand on Cassandra's shoulder. Nione held a thin chain in her hands—the links an inch long and a centimeter wide—that connected to leather cuffs around Circe's wrists. Behind them was a line of guards outside the room.

Cassandra shuddered at the sight of Donna staring at her with such murder in her eyes. "I wish Diana was here."

"As do I, dear one," replied Nione. "But Thrax's focus is to kill Diana and Hippolyta. It is best to leave them out of this, for now."

"Besides," Kara added with a reassuring pat to Cassandra's right shoulder. "Artemis and I will be here the whole time." Artemis gripped her sword as she gave a nod of reassurance to Cassandra.

Cassandra took a shuddered breath. "Okay."

Nione yanked at the chain. "Come, witch."

Circe winced at the pull of the cuffs. "You say it as if I'm insulted by such a compliment." Nione pulled again away from the cage to a far corner. As Nione explained her plan to Circe, Artemis and Kara checked in with Cassandra one more time.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Cassandra smiled at Kara's inquiry.

"Stop worrying. All I have to do is get my blood on Thrax—I mean, Donna—and Nione will take it from there."

Kara eyed Donna with brows knit. "Easier said than done."

"So, there  _is_  a purpose to this chain other than holding me." This pulled the attention of the other ladies to Nione and Circe's conversation. Circe pouted. "And here I thought you were kinky." Kara scrunched up her face to stop the smile curling at her mouth. Nione—entirely unamused—led Circe to the cage where she stood on one side and Circe on the other; they pulled the chain taut. "We're ready when you are, Supergirl." Kara balked at her hero name then nodded and focused on the bars before her. A pinkish glow lit the skin around her eyes before her eyes turned a yellow then red as her lasers burst forth. The bars at first softened then began to melt into the ground.

"Be ready, Kara." As the bars melted, Artemis stood on Kara's right with her sword half-drawn. She couldn't spill blood, but a solid knock to the back of the head might do Thrax-Donna good. "Does anyone find it ironic that on our holiest week where no blood can be spilled, we must spill Cassandra's blood to separate Thrax from Donna?"

"Dear, Artemis… I didn't know you knew what irony meant." Artemis threw a playful smirk at Cassandra.

"I  _can_  read."

"Debatable," Kara said as she widened her field of vision to melt more bars. Thrax-Donna seemed to figure out what was occurring and braced herself across from Kara. Nione chanted in a low voice and Circe joined her; the chain took on a blue hue.

Artemis's other hand pressed against Kara's lower back. "Steady, Kara. Steady." When an opening as wide as a linebacker's shoulder width had melted enough, Kara blinked and stepped back to allow her eyes to cool. The black metal, now a bright red, dripped in a large metallic pool on the stone floor. Artemis unsheathed her sword and held it in a reverse grip by her right leg. Kara rubbed at her eyes as she and Cassandra stepped off to the side away from her friends.

"What's he waiting for?" The witch spoke too soon as Donna pushed off the back of the cage and dove over Nione and Circe's chain. Her hands hit the stone before she rolled over her shoulder into a standing position. Artemis brought her hand down to be blocked by Donna's left forearm. A heat engulfed her waist as Cassandra's lasso wrapped around her and the chain came around her neck and pulled Donna to the ground. The lasso glowed and crackled as Thrax's anger vibrated up the rope. Kara growled and tightened her grip on the rope. Donna pushed against the rope but a paralysis overtook her and kept her down as the spell held. Cassandra took the dagger from her waist and sliced her palm then knelt by Donna's head.

"Hello, brother." This made Thrax stop fidgeting. "I hope this hurts." She wiped her palm across Donna's forehead. Donna's eyes glowed white, and a scream erupted from her with a shock wave that hurled everyone to the edges of the room.

Kara groaned and turned on her left shoulder then used her right hand to push herself into a sitting position. She reached out to Cassandra who was a couple feet away from her; Circe was slumped against the wall on the other side of Cassandra. On opposite from her was Nione, also unconscious. Near the room's doorway, Artemis was helped up by guards who had been outside the room.

In the center of the room laid Donna's body in the supine position and next to her was Thrax. He was in a crouched position with his fists pressed against the stone. His silver hair hung wet and mussed in his face. A growl rumbled in his chest as his muscles contracted and he stumbled into a standing position. He blinked his grey eyes into focus; the corner of them crinkled as he narrowed in on Cassandra.

"Sister…" Thrax took two large steps before Kara super-sped up to him and threw a right cross into his jaw that sent him sprawling into the floor; he was knocked out before he hit the ground. "Batgirl showed me that." Her pride in her punch beamed as she rubbed her knuckles. "He'll be out for a while."

"What is the next step?" asked Artemis as she accepted a cold compress from one of the healers who bustled into the room.

"The next step," Nione said as Epione pulled her to her feet, "will be for you to travel to the Underworld. Bargain with Hades for Donna's soul." Kara followed-up Nione's spell with a gentle blow of her freeze breath.

Cassandra pressed the bandage into her right hand as her eyes blinked away from the guards tying Thrax in the chain that had held Circe. "You're not coming with us?"

"I cannot. Someone must maintain this spell over Donna's body. And with Penelope still possessed by Derinoe, I am the only one. You must decide amongst yourselves who will go."

"I'll go." Kara finished encasing Donna's body in a thin sheet of ice and stared at her work, most likely using her x-ray vision to ensure everything was as it should be. "I'll go," she said louder. Cassandra sucked in a breath.

"We just got you back." Kara's head tilted to the right and her lips compressed into a flat line at the fear that overcome Cassandra's face. "I'll go. I'm Thrax's sister." The corner of her lip curled in disgust. "Family obligation and all." Kara moved away from the cage and took Cassandra's damaged hand in hers. "I can't lose you again." Her voice was at a whisper, but the quiet of the room allowed the sound to reach the ears of their friends.

"You won't."

"I hate to interrupt this homo-romantic subtext." Circe pursed her lips as she pulled on the cuffs still around her wrist; no one had bothered to help her to her feet. "We have an Underworld to get to, yes?"

"Yes." Everyone turned to see Hippolyta and Diana standing in the doorway. "And time is of the essence." The queen stepped forward and grimaced at the sight of Thrax being tied up. "Get what you need. You leave for the Underworld in an hour."

**X**

Red wine swirled in the golden goblet decorated with red and green gems. A fat hand held the goblet in its fingertips before the owner of said hand brought the cup to his lips. An ironic smile graced full lips before he took a sip of the wine. "It seems you being here was  _not_  a complete accident, dear one." Chains rattled to his left. "Don't worry. I won't make it too hard on them. Yet I do need my fun." The chains rattled even harder. "Patience. You might enjoy the ending."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Oh, the cringe-worthiness of early writing.  
> Fun fact, that Kate/Bruce scene was supposed to be a Kate/Maggie scene then Bruce turned up and I couldn't shoo him away.  
> Also, I feel I've written Cassandra to be a bit to damsel-in-distress/whiney in an OOC way. Starting next chapter, we'll start to correct that.
> 
> I do hope you enjoyed this long chapter. I tried to think of ways to break it up, but I needed to be this length to keep on with what I have planned for the next chapters.


	12. Welcome to Hell

Kara pulled at the red sash that attached to her left hip, came up to her right shoulder, and draped over it. The blueberry blue tunic hung above her knees and cinched at the waist with a golden belt that had a dagger attached to it. She sighed as she looked in the mirror.

"You look good." The corners of Kara's mouth pulled in at Diana's compliment. She fiddled with the golden House of El attached to her right shoulder and that her sash ran through. "No armor?" Kara shook her head.

"I still have my powers in the Underworld," she ran her fingers through her hair, "and besides, I've never been a fan of armor."

Diana took Kara by the shoulders and directed her to the vanity. She made her sit and braided the hair on the left side of Kara's head. Diana focused on her fingers working through Kara's wavy blonde hair "How are your eyes?" A crease formed between Kara's eyebrows as they twitched.

"Fine."

"Cassandra told me they became light-sensitive after you used your heat-vision."

"Hm." Kara glanced down as she smoothed down her skirt. "I haven't used my heat-vision in in a while. Not since the attack from Apokolips."

Diana ran her hands down Kara's shoulders. "When you collapsed like that, yesterday, I couldn't breathe. We just got you back, Kara. The idea of losing you again, it frightens me." A knock on the door prompted Kara to stand and follow Diana. Artemis stood in full armor waiting for them with Io next to her. The armor smith held Diana's Wonder Woman gauntlets, sword, and the lasso.

"Cassandra is already at the Underworld entrance with Thrax, Circe, and Queen Hippolyta."

Kara ran her hand over the braids. "Let's not keep them waiting." Artemis and Kara led the way as Diana walked with Io to apply the finishing touches of her Wonder Woman uniform. "Everything copacetic?"

Artemis' brow furrowed. "I am not sure what that means?"

"Calm, more or less. Wasn't sure if we should expect high tensions when we get to the entrance."

"Everyone is eager to get to retrieve Donna. When I passed Cassandra on my way here, she told me Thrax was still unconscious."

"Then the spell is holding."

"Circe has doubts it will once we pass the threshold since magic in the Underworld is unpredictable."

"Odds are, Hades and Zeus have something to do with it. And speaking of Circe…"

Artemis frowned. "Were we?"

"Once we're in the Underworld, the rules of the holy don't apply."

"They do in my mind."

Kara nodded. "Understood."

The entrance to the Underworld resided on the last sublevel of the Temple of the Dead. Its doors were 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide and made from solid gold. The relief depicted souls in torment amongst rocks and flames in the bottom half and open fields with happy people in the upper half. There were no handles or any other visible way to open them.

"Hephaestus forged these millennia ago." Phoebe pressed her palm against the door. Kara's mouth fell open as the figures moved to act out scenes of torture and joy in their respective resting places. They stopped the second Phoebe removed her hand.

"They're terrible."

"The truth sometimes is."

"Ladies?" Phoebe and Kara left the doors and joined the rest of the Amazons standing around an altar.

Kara pointed at the stone "Please tell me we're not about to enact a human sacrifice to open these doors."

"I nominate Thrax as tribute." Circe snickered at Phoebe's comment, which earned her and Phoebe a smack in the arm from Lyla who was in her Harbinger uniform.

Nione's eyebrows rose. "No, we are not." Her right hand hovered over a tome like the one used to summon Circe, but thinner and a lighter hue. "Thrax's presence violates the agreement Olympus made with the Amazons." Scyleia handed Nione a dagger she had heated over a fire. Nione used the blade to cut strands from Thrax's hair and dropped them in a copper bowl filled with what looked like potpourri. Scyleia then handed her a twig with fire on it that Nione placed in the bowl. The contents crackled as the fire consumed them. Eyes followed the trail of smoke that wafted up from the charred remains. The cavernous room remained silent until the smoke reached the ceiling where several terracotta-colored, frisbee-shaped facades were carved into it.

"Now what?" Cassandra pinched Kara in the ribs. "What?"

"Watch," was Lyla's reply.

When the last of the ingredients turned to ashes, a boom—like a cannon shot—echoed through the chamber. A white light flashed where the altar was and forced everyone to close their eyes. They opened them again when the light faded to find a golden and very naked man standing on the altar wearing a helmet with wings on it and carrying a staff the same color as him.  _"May I ask why you summoned me with tainted incense?"_

Nione bowed to the god before them. "Hermes, we need you to open the doors of the Underworld."

" _And why would I do that?"_

"Because that tainted incense belongs to Thrax, son of Ares' son." Hermes turned his head to regard the sleeping demigod.

" _Hades did not inform me Thrax had escaped his confines. This must be corrected."_  He turned back to Nione.  _"You do not need to enter the Underworld if his return is what you seek. Something was stolen from you… or someone."_

Diana cleared her throat and bowed. "My sister."

" _Donna of Troy… I remember that day. It was an honor to take your sister to the Elysian Fields, your Highness."_

"Will you help us?" He gripped the edge of his helmet and tipped it at Diana. "Thank you."

The wings on his staff and helmet flapped as he floated into the air and rotated to face the door. The figures on the door moved from their places to the crease where the opening was and pulled. As the door opened inch by inch, rock fell from the walls and ceiling until it stopped with space for people to walk through one at a time. Hermes pulled his staff back and floated down to the altar.

" _I will allow this door to stay open for two days, for two days is all you have left to restore Donna of Troy."_  He motioned for Diana to approach and knelt on one knee, though the knee did not touch the altar.  _"This will keep you aware of the time."_  His free hand stretched out to catch sand that materialized in midair. It formed a small hourglass with a chain attached to the bottom. His hand curled around it and uncurled to reveal two hourglasses.  _"Best to give you two in case Hades plays any of his games."_  Diana took them and put one around her neck. Hermes snapped his fingers, and they turned over to let the sand run.  _"Best hurry if you want to succeed."_  The shine of skin brightened and caused everyone to close their eyes again; when they opened them, he was gone.

Kara cleared her throat. "Let's get to it then." Artemis who had a hold on the new chain attached to Circe's cuffs stepped away from the altar with several other Amazons and Kara.

"Cassandra." This stopped her from doing the same and go to Diana instead. "Take this," she held the other hourglass to her, "it's for you."

"Are you sure?" She grasped the chain and lifted it around her neck.

"I am. I have treated you too much like Wonder Girl the sidekick and not Wonder Girl the heroine. You deserve to be trusted and treated as a partner."

"Thank you, Diana." The princess gave Cassandra a reassuring pat on the arm and followed their companions.

Once at the entrance, Diana gave her mother a hug, took a torch from Philippus, and stepped into the darkness. Artemis shook Philippus' hand then pulled Circe in after her. Kara followed with Thrax over her left shoulder and a torch in her right. Cassandra took a breath and brought up the rear.

"Stay vigilant, Amazons. Doorways work two ways, entrance and exit. As long as these remain open, we can expect things to attempt an escape."

The guards bowed to their queen. "Yes, your Majesty," they replied in relative unison. When the queen left with her queen's guard, Philippus gave instructions.

"Phoebe and Scyleia will take the first shift to guard the doors. The rest will guard in pairs at each entryway from here to the Temple's grand doors." Lyla and a guard named Orithia flanked Philippus as they left the other guards to their orders. Phoebe and Scyleia planted themselves to make an equilateral triangle with the opening being one point and them being the other two. They had been there for less than five minutes when Scyleia spoke.

"Did you notice how Hermes didn't blink?"

Phoebe giggled. " _That_  is what you focused on?" Scyleia motioned as if to poke Phoebe in the leg with the bottom of her spear, but her sister was too far out of reach.

**In the Underworld…**

The trail into the Underworld ran smooth and winding between man-sized stalagmites. Darkness hung in the air, thick and heavy like a wet blanket. Kara waved her torch towards the edge of the trail. "The light doesn't reflect off the rocks." She reached behind her and handed the torch off to Cassandra then shifted Thrax into a fireman's carry over both her shoulders.

"Keeps us from seeing what's beyond them." Her fingers grazed her lasso. Its light permeated the darkness more than the torch to show rock and nothing else. Cassandra's shoulders dropped and her features relaxed.

Minutes or maybe hours later, the trail curved less and widened. Diana turned left around a stalagmite wall to find a small, black sanded beach. A wooden pier—grey from age—extended from the beach's left side. The others stepped out around her and looked over the dark water. Diana took measured steps towards the pier and the others followed. The wood—on closer inspection—had holes in it and some boards appeared rotten, and yet they held firm.

Circe flicked her fingers at the water. "Anyone fancy a swim?" Kara's body shivered and contracted at the sight of faces flowing within the waves that produced no sound.

"I would," Cassandra gripped her lasso, "but there's no lifeguard on duty. Safety first."

From a red pouch attached next to her belt, Diana pulled a coin. Her thumb rubbed over the face of it and her ring finger against the back. Those fingers gripped the cool metal as her forefinger pressed against its edges. With a flick of the wrist, the coined skipped across the dark waters.

"Ten bucks we get a ruddy looking dude with a hat and a beard."

"I'm thinking more of an Attack of the Titans, look." Circe rolled her eyes at the dialog between Kara and Cassandra.

"I'm surrounded by children," she mumbled under her breath. "And it's  _Clash_  of the Titans."

Diana ignored them all. "There he is."

In the distance, the water sloshed and bubbled. It created a trail of bubbles that made a beeline to the women. It was 50 feet away when the ship broke through the surface like the  _Flying Dutchman_ from the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Souls clung to the sides of the dilapidated ship as it floated to a stop on the pier's right side. A tall man in a black tunic with a golden belt and matching sandals stepped out of the cabin in the middle of the boat. He grabbed an oar and knocked the desperate souls off his ship. In the light of the torches, he had reddish-brown hair and a strong Roman nose. He was handsome in a Grecian urn kind of way.

He pulled a Captain Morgan pose with one foot on the deck and the other on the starboard railing. "You bribed?" In his right hand was the coin Diana tossed into the water. His hazel eyes narrowed on the unconscious Thrax on Kara's shoulders. "This is serious. Get in." Kara took the hand he held out to her as he assisted her into the boat. After Kara was on the deck, he reached out and found Circe staring at him. "Circe."

"Charon… you look good."

He raised an eyebrow. "You too. That green in your hair brings out your inner bitch well." Artemis and Cassandra snorted at the insult and stepped into the boat. "Your Highness." Diana accepted his offered hand. "Lovely as always."

"I do not believe we have met, Charon."

"No, we have not. I have had the privilege of escorting several of your enemies."

"I see."

Charon hopped onto the deck and grabbed his oar and pushed off the pier. Cassandra and Diana moved to the front of the ship while Kara and Artemis took Thrax and Circe below deck. Cassandra watched the boat bump into the souls with a pained expression.

"When I was little, I feared I would become a lost soul such as these." Cassandra startled at Diana's confession.

"Do you think Amazons are down there?"

Diana shrugged her right shoulder. "There could be. The Amazons existed long before I did. And none of us are perfect." She pulled Cassandra into her embrace when the demigoddess didn't reply. "My dearest, child. If you are lost, then talk to me, please. I hate to see such turmoil within you."

"I'm not lost, Diana. I'm concerned on what we'll find down here."

"What do you think we'll find?"

Cassandra slid from Diana's reach. "That we don't get to take Donna home." The princess looked over the water. The shore behind them had disappeared and there was none to be seen before them.

"Losing a sister is a terrible a thing. The anger, confusion, doubt, and denial wraps around you as boa constrictor would its prey. You can either let it swallow you or fight back." Diana faced Cassandra and waited for her to do the same. "The burden of carrying Kara's secret has weighed on you, I know. And yes, Kara told me everything when she showed up." She ran her fingers through Cassandra's hair. "She's here to stay, she promised. Remember that."

Cassandra sighed. "I'll try."

"Land ho!" Charon grinned as he adjusted the rudder. "I always get a kick out of that." Where there once was no land, a red sanded shore emerged 100 feet away. The pier attached was made of a sturdy Redwood and brown stone. Kara with Thrax still on her shoulders and Artemis with Circe stepped out of the cabin. Though there was no anchor, the ship stopped. Diana and Cassandra were the first off on the port side. Artemis and Circe followed. "Leave him, Kara Zor-El."

The authority in Charon's voice vibrated through Kara. Her head bowed in submission before she laid him on the deck and stepped off the ship. Once she did, she gave a hard shudder and rubbed at the goosebumps decorating her arms.

"Where are you taking him?" Charon pushed off from the shore towards the river Cocytus without answering Artemis' question. She reached out to grab the edge of the boat, but Kara yanked her back.

"Where Thrax is going, I don't think we can follow."

"Right you are, Daughter of Zor-El." The women turned to find one of the loveliest women any of them had seen, or perhaps she came across that way due to how dark and dreary their surroundings were. "Thrax is being taken back to his prison with Hades. You must go another way if you wish to restore Donna."

"Can we…?" Cassandra trailed off as she waited for a name.

"Persephone," Diana said with a slight bow.

"You can," she replied as she returned the gesture, "but keep what I say in mind as you venture through the Underworld. Hades put many traps and tricks in place to ensure someone does not take a soul from its final place, resting or otherwise. You will face many challenges. If you defeat and pass these tests and trials-"

"We can restore Donna's soul," interrupted Artemis.

Persephone shook her head. "Restoring Donna is a  _possibility_."

"You Olympians don't make it easy, do you?" A question once asked in jest at times before, bitterness and anger now laced Kara's voice. Persephone reacted with the same amused smile she gave Cassandra's question earlier.

"Your challenges await you. May you face them well." The ground rumbled and cracked before fast-growing stalagmite and stalactite erupted and fused into walls. The walls separated them: Cassandra and Diana; Artemis, Circe, and Kara. No amount of Amazonian or Kryptonian strength could shatter them. Hades' game had begun.


	13. Facing One's Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read The Other Side of the Story, then the fear Cassandra experiences might confuse you. Basically, Kara almost molested her (or did, I can't really remember) because of the mind control Darkseid put her through on Apokolips. They've worked through what happened, but there's still that residual energy.

Artemis and Kara slammed their fists against the walls over and over. The sound of the hits echoed through the cavernous Underworld.

"It's of no use. Magic reinforces those."

Artemis turned on Circe then growled, "Then  _do_  something."

"I would but…" She held up her hands to show the cuffs.

" _Never._ "

"Then don't complain." Artemis huffed and stomped away from the wall.

Kara adjusted her sash and stepped toward Circe. "Bad idea to push Artemis' patience. Her convictions during this holy week will hold, but if she snaps, I won't stop her."

"I thought Supergirl doesn't kill."

"Artemis isn't Supergirl." Circe narrowed her eyes at Kara then walked away.

On the other side, Cassandra and Diana tried different means to cut away at the rock. First it was with their hands, followed by the hilt of their swords, and ending with the actual blades of the swords. Nothing happened.

"Stop, Cassandra. We will dull the blades this way." Diana sheathed her sword. "Persephone warned us of this, we must respect it."

Cassandra followed Diana's lead. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

An amused smile graced Diana's lips. "I suppose not." The surrounding space could fit a squadron of Amazons. Two tunnels or hallways extended from it. Their entrances were next to each other, but as they extended back one could see they curved in their respective directions. "Which way should we go?"

"You'd have better luck flipping a coin than asking me."

"What do your instincts say?" Cassandra took a breath. "Don't over-think it."

"Left."

Diana smiled. "Left, it is." While the Amazon warriors began their journey, Kara and company shuffled around their half of the cavern that was one-third smaller than what Cassandra's and Diana's side.

Kara kept using her heat vision on the wall, but not only was that useless it started to hurt her eyes. Artemis stared at Circe with the same focus as heat vision with the thankful lack of the power. Circe refused to bait the ginger and used her time to calculate which of the four tunnels they needed to take.

"We take the far right one." This shifted Kara's attention. "It has the best feel to it."

" _Feel_?" Kara scrunched her nose. "I'd  _feel_  better if I used my hearing… Just in case." She closed her eyes and tilted her head to the right and then to the left. Her brow furrowed, and she let out a huff. "I can't hear anything."

Circe rolled her eyes. "Did you think Hades would make it that easy?"

"I had hoped." Artemis let out her own huff and passed them with a grunt as she marched into the second tunnel from the right. "I guess we're going that way." Kara grabbed Circe's chain and led her to whatever awaited them.

 

**X**

 

The tunnel Cassandra and Diana chose was an unchanging craggily red rock without end or change. "At least we haven't hit a dead end," Cassandra remarked ten minutes into their walk. Another ten to fifteen minutes passed before the rock smoothed out and shows signs of man- or creature-made carvings and facades. The images depicted a battle neither women recognized until near the end of the rocky relief.

"It's the final battle between my mother and Ares." Their eyes scanned the fight when Cassandra pointed out a scene right before Zeus and Hera interfere with the fight.

"It's Thrax." And she was right. The silhouettes were of Hippolyta as she cut the head off Thrax. "It must take strong convictions to kill your son."

"An extremely evil son."

"Right." Cassandra stepped away from the scene as Diana stayed to scrutinize it. "This wasn't here by accident. Hades wanted us to see this." The princess's scrutiny proved fruitful. In the corner of the relief, there was the distinct image of a pomegranate.

"Did he?" Cassandra walked over to Diana to see what she was pointing at.

"Huh. What a queen."

Diana ran her hands over what Persephone had gifted them. "There's something she wants me to learn here." Her hands traced over the battle to the moment where Ares seduced Hippolyta. The corner of her lip quivered before it curled in disgust. "He disguised himself as Herakles."

"Like father, like son." Cassandra leaned closer. "Whoa, is that what Herakles looks like? He's a babe." Diana rolled her eyes. "What else does this show?" Cassandra walked farther up the relief.

Diana let her eyes drift away from Cassandra and back to her mother. She pressed the tips of her fingers against her mother's form that fought against Thrax.

Diana sighed. "Cassandra, I think it's time we… Cassandra?"

 

**X**

 

Artemis walked the tunnel with a purpose. Circe and Kara watched from behind as she cut at the rock with the sword Alexa gave her. The tunnel would turn subtly left and right and downward and upward. Kara counted the number of times it happened and their angles. Some were hard to calculate, but Kara used her enhanced senses to figure out where they were.

"We've been going upward and leftward." Artemis didn't react, so she directed the statement again to Circe and added the question, "You know where we're going?"

"Do I look like a holiday down here?" Kara's right eyebrow quirked up and her lips pursed to avoid smiling. "Keep that comment you're fighting behind those pretty lips of yours. I don't know where we are."

"I figured whatever happened between you and Charon might be useful to us now."

"Whatever happened is my own business and not yours."

"Ooh, someone's irate."

"I am not." Circe and Kara dove into a petty back and forth that rile Circe and amuse Kara. This went on until they entered a cavernous space small in diameter yet humongous in height. Kara released a loud whistle that echoed up the chamber. At the top of the chamber was an opening the size of a manhole; this was the only exit from the room.

"I guess we go up then." Kara looked between Artemis and Circe. "It's the fox, chicken, grain situation all over, again. Except  _I'm_  the farmer and we have no grain. How high can you jump?"

Artemis huffed. "Not that high. No way of climbing either." The cavern was conical shaped and the walls smooth.

"You first."

Circe shook as the statement had ruffled literal feathers. "Why not me?"

"First, we don't know what's on that other side. Second, I don't trust you enough not to run off while I grab Artemis, but I trust you won't run back to where we began." Kara crouched and wrapped her arms around Artemis' thighs. This allowed her to keep Artemis vertical, so she could pull herself through the hole. Circe watched them stop at the opening and speak for a moment. The way Artemis moved the hand not holding the torch suggested they were discussing how to go through it. Circe inhaled to yell at them when a chilled wind came out of the tunnel and wrapped around her. She recovered from the gust by the time Kara landed in front of her.

"Okay, now it's your... turn." Circe didn't want to see what caused the young heroine to pause in her speech and stare past her shoulder. "We need to go." In a smooth motion, Kara scooped Circe into her arms and flew her to the opening where Artemis waited with an outstretched arm. As soon as she was through, Kara brought up the rear.

The space they stood in resembled a room more than an opening amongst the rocks. Torches bolted into the wall lined the room though none were lit. Above them, they could make different frescos out thanks to the light from Artemis' torch she handed Kara for Circe's chain. There were four archways at each wall. Three of them were dark, but the fourth one on their left had a faint light emanating from it. Kara approached it and closed her eyes to listen. They were closed for a few seconds before they popped open.

"I can hear Cassandra." Artemis gave her first genuine smile since they entered Hades' realm.

"Excellent. We can…" Another gust of wind hit Circe from behind her. Artemis' eyes widened. Circe dared a glance and saw nothing, which was the problem. Each archway reflected the light from the torch except that one. No light could penetrate the darkness there. It only devoured it. Strange things were to be expected in the realms of the Olympian gods. This, however, gave everyone the skeevies. It was how the darkness undulated like oil that set Circe's hair on end. "We need-"

Artemis did not get to finish her sentence because that was when darkness moved. It flowed over and engulfed the women under a tidal wave of blackness. Circe, who had been the last one swallowed, felt slack on her chain and tested it. She tested it too well and stumbled backwards to hit something warm. Calloused hands grasped her biceps, and the darkness gave way to light, torch by torch. The last torch was on her right. She used its light to see a familiar face.

"Odysseus?" She moved from his embrace.

"Hello, Circe." He did not look happy.

"How are you in the-" Circe cut herself off with a throaty and disbelieving chuckle. "Hades." She sneered at Odysseus. "You're not real."

He took a step towards her. "I'm real enough." She stepped back.

"Odysseus?"

He took another step towards her. "Yes?" She took another step back.

"I-" A tug at her wrists made her aware that her chains were not hanging from her wrists, but in Odysseus's hands. "Let me, go."

"No." She tugged as hard as she could and even attempted to override the spell put on the cuffs. It was of no use.

Odysseus wrapped the chain around his hands, which shortened the distance between him and Circe, then dragged her to a large metal ring bolted to the wall. When Circe realized what he was doing, she changed her tactics from pulling at the chain to rushing at him. Her fists and nails dug into Odysseus's neck and arms, but it didn't deter him from his mission. The sound of metal on metal was the sound of defeat. Not only was the chain wrapped around the ring, but it was fused to it.

Odysseus stepped backwards and wiped at the bloody scratches on his arms and neck from Circe's fingernails. She watched as he backed up to the opening of a fenced section that held adult male pigs. His left hand reached out and flipped the latch. The pigs, which were calm before, rushed through the opened gate with grunts and loud squeals and made a beeline for Circe.

"Odysseus, help me.  _Please_."

"I would, if you hadn't turned yourself into the monster you are. What you have done to the Amazons was shameful and evil. This is what you deserve." Circe stumbled back as two black pigs pushed at her legs. She yanked at her restrains, but it was of no use.

"Odysseus… Odysseus!"

 

**X**

 

Cassandra woke with a start and a groan. A haze coated her mind as she rubbed her face then tried to sit-up. "Shh-shh-shh." Warm fingers pressed against her forehead. "It's okay, my love." Then they combed through her hair at the temple. The voice was familiar to her yet it sounded darker.

From behind her eyelids, Cassandra could see a yellow light. It grew brighter until suddenly it dimmed. She opened her eyes to find Kara sitting over her. "Kara?" The blonde gripped Cassandra's shoulder as she steadied herself. "Why are you wearing your Supergirl outfit?" And she was, except this one wasn't the same color; it was darker. Cassandra blinked and looked around them to see if it was her eyes playing tricks on her.

"What's going…" Cassandra choked on her words at the look in Kara's eyes. She knew those eyes. They were the same ones that belonged to the Kara of over five years ago. The Kara that assaulted her after the Kryptonian's rescue from Apokolips. "Kara?" Her hands pushed against the mattress they were sitting on then realize she knew this bed. It was the one from Diana's room. Though her movements were slow, the fear was palpable in Cassandra's eyes. There was no hiding it from Kara as she sat and watched Cassandra slide off the bed.

"Something wrong?"

"I-I…" Cassandra moved off the bed backwards, which caused her to stumble over the sheets and hit her back against the wall. Or perhaps Kara caused it by moving at her like a predator and pressing her into the wall. Cassandra moved to push Kara off her, but fear weakened her and made her no match for the Kryptonian who grabbed her forearms and pressed them into the wall.

Her breath hitched as Kara pressed her nose into the space between her neck and the corner of her jaw. "Fear. I smell it." Bile threatened to come up when Kara licked her neck. "Taste it."

" _Please…_ " whimpered Cassandra.

"Hey!" Kara leaned back and growled. Cassandra's eyes widened at the newcomer. It was Kara, or Linda Lee-Danvers, to be exact. She wore brown boots, jeans, a red plaid shirt, and a dark brown blazer. Her hair is no longer way and blonde, but brunette with tight curls; she was wearing her glasses, too. "Get. Off. Her." Kara growled again. " _NOW!_ " The yell reverberated against the walls and caused pieces of rock from and near the stalactites to fall.

Kara dug her nails into Cassandra—she felt blood pool at the points of pressure—then let go. Her locked legs kept her from sliding down the wall as Kara and Linda approached the other. At first, it appeared Kara was about to circle Linda as she took three steps to Linda's left. It surprised Cassandra, as much as it did Linda, when Kara clocked her in the jaw with a left upper-cut. Linda stumbled back into a table that broke under her. She gingerly got to her feet and took a few steps to the right. Kara gave another upper-cut that sent Linda flying backwards onto a pile of rocks. Kara flexed her fingers and shook her hand.

Linda pushed up from the rocks and brushed at the dirt on her jacket. Kara who had turned away and towards Cassandra again, whipped around to the left and glared at Linda. The brunette's arms waved in the air as she regained her balance and beckoned Kara to come at her again. Kara took preparatory steps and extended her arms straight as she flew into the air a few feet from the ground. Linda stopped rubbing her left arm and stood stiff as a pole. It couldn't be said what outcome Linda was expecting, but the outcome that did happen was Kara's fists collided with Linda's stomach. The force of the impact threw her to the opposite end of the room. Kara laughed as a bully does when he or she embarrasses the victim before them.

"I can give as good as I get."

"Oh, yeah?" replied Kara. "All right." Her lips curled up, and she growled. "Come here. Come on! Come on! Come on!"

Linda's mouth flattened, and a look of determination hardened her face. She ran at Kara and head-butted her in the stomach. This pushed her into the river. It was here that Cassandra noticed where she had awoken. The room wasn't a complete enclosure. Where she was, it resembled Diana's room. There was a table (broken because of Linda), a bed, and a vanity. Farther away from her the smooth walls were the rough stone. There was one entrance marked by Ionic pillars. To her right was the river. At its shore were long pieces of different metals. Broken swords, pieces of shields, and other chunks of machinery; refuse from Man's world and Hephaestus' workshop. In the corner farthest from her, but closest to the river, were various tools and hunks of machinery. They resembled war machines and the things that made them.

Linda adjusted her jacket and shifted her shirt. Her face angled to the right as she watched the bubbling water where Kara had fallen. Cassandra's eyes widened when she saw cupped hands emerge from the water followed by Kara. She inhaled and used her super breath to blow the water onto Linda. She turned away and guarded her face as it hit her. The water had acidic qualities to it because it burned holes into her blazer. Linda unbuttoned it and threw it to the ground. Kara laughed at the scene.

"What's a matter, Danvers? To warm for, huh?" She leaned down to grab a broken shield. "Huh? Huh?!" She whacked Linda with it, which caused the brunette to fall backwards near the pile of machinery. "Come on, chicken." She hit Linda, again. "You've been on my nerves for a  _long_  time." Kara growled something at Linda and continued her assault despite Linda's pleas. Then without reason, Kara lost her grip on shield and dropped it behind her right shoulder. She wobbled in place and groaned. Her upper body bent forward, and her face turned a pallid green. Linda jumped away from her attacker. This gave Kara a new wave of energy and she growled at Linda as she followed her.

Linda didn't get far when Kara grabbed her by the back of her shirt collar and her belt. "You always wanted to fly, Danvers. Now's your chance." Kara threw Linda into the air in a way that made her flip and land on her back in a machine. Kara flew over to a platform above the machine and flipped a few levers. With a creak and a shudder, the machine dumped the refuse onto Linda.

Cassandra sucked in a breath. "No," she whispered when it closed onto Linda.

Kara breathed a sigh and floated to the ground. Her feet stomped against the ground as she tried to keep her balance. Whatever had affected her earlier came back with a vengeance. Cassandra's attention got yanked away from the woman to the machine that crushed Linda when a metallic creak caught her ear. Linda had punched out of the machine and hopped over broken barrels and clay pots on the beach. Kara must have heard the sound too because she spun left and glared at Linda.

Linda grabbed several wide, metal bands from the barrels and tossed them at Kara. They landed around her like a game of rings and pegs from a state fair. Kara stood still until they reached her shoulders. With a sneer, she ducked out of sight within her tower. Chunks of metal and wood sailed outward in splinters. Kara glanced up, which made Linda do the same. Above her was a wide stalactite. A shot of heat-vision cut it. Linda put her hands up to stop the falling rock, but the ground beneath her was too soft. The weight of the rock pushed her into the ground like a spike.

Kara took a few steps backwards and turned toward Cassandra again. The sound of scraping stopped Kara and made her shift away from Cassandra, much to the demigoddess's relief. Linda had pushed the rock up and out of the hole. She wrapped around the edges and slid it over before she pulled herself out. Kara shifted her jaw forward to create a no-nonsense look. She sashayed up to Linda who was still on her hands and knees and kicked her in the jaw to knock her out. Kara picked up Linda and walked her over to another machine next to the crusher. She pulled Linda's glasses off then walked over to the side of the machine and pushed a lever up. The conveyer belt shuddered and moved Linda into the machine. When she was out of sight, Kara folded the glasses and crushed them in her right hand. She closed her eyes and inhaled. When she opened her eyes, it was clear Kara thought the fight was done…

But it wasn't.

A yell of pain followed a loud series of booming metal sounds. The machine shook and creaked violently. Kara walked along the side of it and stopped at the other end, perhaps hoping to see the remnants of her enemy.

Linda burst from the wall of the machine closest to Kara with pure anger etched in her face. Kara's eyes widened in surprise when Linda wrapped her hands around Kara's neck and pressed her thumbs into the spot below the larynx. The momentum caused Linda and Kara to fall with Linda on top of Kara. They struggled for a few seconds as Kara tried to get out of Linda's grip. When they fell onto their sides, it gave Kara the opportunity to crawl away, but she didn't get far.

Linda jumped onto Kara's back and wrapped her hands around her doppelgänger's neck. She pulled her up and adjusted her grip with her left hand around the front of the throat and her right hand against back of the neck. Cassandra heard crunching noises as Linda flexed her arms and tightened her hold. The fingers didn't release until Kara literally vanished from their eyes. Cassandra and Linda stared at the spot. When Kara's head lifted, her eyes shone and there was a hint of a smile. She propped one leg up and pushed to a stand. Her shoulders pulled back as her fingers curled around the placket of the shirt and tugged the fabric. In a blink, the Linda persona disappeared and in her place was Kara wearing the clothes Diana gave her before they left Themyscira.

"Kara?"

Her eyes snapped up. "Cassandra." She made a motion towards her and it made Cassandra flinch. "Oh, Cassie. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

This brought reality back to Cassandra. "Kara." She rushed to the other blonde and threw her arms around her neck. "Please tell me it's you."

"It's me, beautiful. It's me."

Cassandra nodded. "Okay." Her voice cracked, and tears flowed as sobs wracked her body. In no time, Kara cried along with her friend and brought her down to kneel on the floor. The Kryptonian clutched the demigoddess to her chest as they let the tears of their past wash their faces clean.

 

**X**

 

The clang of metal on metal echoed throughout the mini battlefield Artemis had found herself. She had awoken to cool mist and a dank smell mixed with decay. The corpses of dead Amazons in various levels of decay and positions on the ground surrounded her. Movement to her right made her barrel roll to avoid the swing of a sword to her neck. Her first glance of the attacker only gave her the image of pale legs. Another swing forced Artemis to shoulder roll backwards, so she could stand. The clink of metal reminded her she was wearing her battle armor.

Her hand gripped her sword as she faced her attacker. "Alexa?"

The bookworm stood before Artemis wearing the clothes Circe killed her in. Artemis guessed that because of the tear in the middle of Alexa's tunic. Her skin was a pallid grey; even the red in her faded. She had a short sword in her right hand, which made Artemis shift her body into a defensive position.

"What are you," Artemis shook her head, "no. You aren't real." She unsheathed her sword and wrapped both of her hands around the hilt. "I won't fall for Hades' trick." She charged at Alexa. The sword came down, but it was blocked by Alexa's right sword. Artemis jumped back as Alexa opened her eyes and advanced. Though her eyes had a white film over it, they also had a reddish glow to them.

Artemis swung downward again and was blocked again before Alexa kicked her in the stomach. She recovered and swiped from the right at Alex's middle. She missed and recovered by doing somewhat of a pirouette then cutting the sword in a downward diagonal. Alexa blocked her so Artemis tried from the right again with the same results. Two kicks to Artemis sent her stumbling backward.

"This fight ends now!" Artemis ducked to avoid a swipe from the left and shoved her sword through the place Circe had pierced Alexa. She brought the body-double into her personal space, which proved to be a bad idea. A headbutt to the nose sent Artemis to the ground without a sword.

Alexa pulled the blade from her torso and spun each one in her hand. Artemis did a back-hand-spring from her position to narrowly avoid the attack. She pulled a broadsword out of the ground just in time to block a combo of attacks. Her arms shook as she resisted the pressure from Alexa.

 _"Nego arch corpus,"_  hissed Alexa.

Sparks came off the sword because of the pressure between the metals. "What demon language are you babbling?" Artemis pushed her away and stepped back to regain her foothold.

 _"Nego arch corpus."_  Alexa brought the swords down again, but Artemis blocked them using the flat of her blade with one hand on the hilt and the other on the blade itself.

"You're trying to tell me something, aren't you?" Her own questions distracted her from the kick from Alexa's left leg and unable to block the blow from her left sword, which knocked Artemis' helmet off. It sent Artemis to the ground. She tried to recover with another barrel roll, except Alexa predicted that move and whacked her sword from Artemis right hand. Artemis' eyes widen when Alexa pressed her left foot to Artemis clavicle. Alexa lifted the sword up and adjusted her grip to hold them in reverse; a better hold for someone about to stab from above. "Nego arch corpus." Alexa arched her back and lifted her swords higher. "Nego arch corpus!"

The seconds that followed went unwitnessed by Artemis because she closed her eyes to prepare for the death blow. She didn't see the life come back to Alexa's eyes. She shorter ginger gasped. This made Artemis open her eyes to see Alexa standing over her. Shame marred her face and hung heavy on her head.

"An ancient incantation to release one from another's unnatural control. Only I could not administer it to myself." The once rosy-cheeked ginger reached with her left hand as an offer of help. Her eyes were still filmed over, but the reddish glow was gone.

"And from where did you learn  _that_  little bit of magic?" Artemis grabbed Alexa's hand and let herself be helped to her feet.

"A book of mysticism written by some dead philosopher."

"You always did live in books, didn't you?"

Alexa smiled. "Yes. But even in death, I am an Amazon." Alexa took Artemis' left hand and squeezed it. "And  _you_ need my help. Come, we haven't much time." When she moved to pull Artemis with her, the other red-head stood her ground.

"Alexa… it is you, correct?" Her friend nodded. "Good. Why is Hades playing these games?"

Alexa's shoulders dropped then she sighed. "Thrax was a prisoner of Hades," she said with her back still to Artemis. "It was his punishment to be in servitude to the Lord of the Underworld until the end of time. The spell Circe gave Derinoe was to re-institute Donna's soul into her body, but with no memory of who she was before she died. The spell went wrong. Kara did not defeat death, she cheated it. At the same time a rumor spread about a horrific spell created by Circe. Some took it seriously. Those who did manipulated the spell so instead of Donna's soul returning, it would be Thrax. I'm not sure the exact details. The magic used goes beyond my education."

"Why?" Artemis whispered. "Why go through all of this?"

Alexa shook her head. "Some say because they want Thrax to unite with Ares and overthrow Olympus. Others think he is key to reviving this supposed 'First Born' of Zeus. While others… they enjoy chaos  _far_  more than Chaos herself. Hades has put traps in place to keep people from reaching him, but someone has been infusing their magic with his."

"Who has that power?"

"Only a god can manipulate another god's magic."

Artemis huffed in frustration. "What do we do?"

Alexa smiled and tightened her grip on Artemis' hand. "You follow me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit must be given where credit is due. The scene between the two Supergirl personas was taken straight from Superman III and parts of the scene between Artemis and Alexa were taken from the animated Wonder Woman movie. Everything else is original.


End file.
